NTT and three partners have been selected for a NEDO-backed project to develop mass-production methods for optical chiplets, devices that move data between processors using light instead of electricity. NTT announced the selection on 20 October 2026 in an official release.
Related: NTT coverage on TechnoSports.
Key Details at a Glance
| Company | Role |
|---|---|
| NTT Innovative Devices | Project lead; manufacturing, testing and packaging for mass production |
| Japan Semiconductor | Silicon photonics mass-production technology |
| Furukawa Electric | Compound semiconductor-based optical devices |
| Shinko Electric Industries | Optical chiplet packaging and in-process inspection |
| NTT, Inc. | Advisor; supply chain development |
What an optical chiplet does
An optical chiplet pairs a photonic integrated circuit with an electronic one through high-density packaging. It sends data between processors such as CPUs and GPUs using light, which aims to reduce power use and increase bandwidth in AI servers and data centres.
The project goals
The aim is more than a tenfold increase in manufacturing productivity compared with current R&D-stage processes. The partners will also establish and evaluate a pilot production line designed for future commercial manufacturing, under NEDO’s programme for advanced semiconductor manufacturing technologies.
Japan Semiconductor is a wholly owned subsidiary of Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation. NTT has led optical chiplet packaging R&D under the NEDO programme since fiscal year 2023.
Reported figures
Posts citing Nikkei and Nikkan Kogyo mention a line in Iwate, about Y24 billion in cost with NEDO funding about Y16 billion, and targets of 100,000 units a year by 2031 and 1 million by 2033, with samples from 2028. NTT’s own release does not state these figures, so treat them as press reports.
Read about NTT and our AI hardware coverage.
What Is Not Confirmed
- The funding split, Iwate location, volume targets and 2028 sample date come from Nikkei reports relayed on social media, not from NTT’s release.
Quick Answers
Who leads the project?
NTT Innovative Devices.
What is the productivity goal?
More than tenfold.
Why optical chiplets?
To cut power use and boost bandwidth in AI servers.
Source: NTT.
