GlobalFoundries, Marvell Accelerate Optical Interconnects for AI Data Centers

GlobalFoundries and Marvell Technology are expanding their partnership on next-generation optical connectivity to meet the growing demands of AI-centric data centers. The collaboration targets 400G-per-lane optics with power consumption below 5 picojoules per bit, a significant improvement over current architectures.

The two companies have been working together since at least 2022, when GlobalFoundries showcased Marvell's integration of its silicon-germanium (SiGe) technology into optical components. GlobalFoundries' SCALE silicon photonics platform focuses on co-packaged optics (CPO), which places optical components directly alongside the processor die to reduce latency and power waste.

Marvell has been actively expanding its optical interconnect portfolio through acquisitions, including Avera Semiconductor in 2019 for $650 million and Celestial AI in December 2025 for approximately $3.25 billion. The company projects revenue of around $12 billion for fiscal year 2027 and $18 billion for fiscal year 2028, with data-center interconnect growth exceeding 70% year-over-year.

GlobalFoundries has secured a $300 million grant from the US Department of Commerce to support research and development in advanced semiconductor technologies, including silicon photonics. This partnership highlights the urgency of solving the infrastructure bottleneck of moving data between chips without excessive power consumption.