ENGLISH OVERVIEW
Optical receiver supply chain
InGaAs, Ge PDs, TIAs and integration
Trace detector materials and fabrication through receiver electronics, optical coupling, assembly and test into pluggable modules and CPO engines. This view focuses on direct-detection data center receivers in the 1310/1550 nm bands.
Role in the receiver chain
A receiver includes more than a PD. The detector converts light into current; the TIA provides amplification and a voltage output, followed by architecture-dependent equalization and data recovery. InGaAs devices often arrive as dies or arrays, while Ge PDs are often already inside a silicon-photonics PIC. Their material processes differ, but electronics and integration capabilities overlap.
How to compare Ge and InGaAs specifications
Compare actual devices and complete receivers at the same wavelength, bias, temperature, coupling conditions and data format. Material names alone do not establish speed or sensitivity.
- Responsivity (A/W) and coupling loss jointly determine photocurrent delivered to the TIA.
- Dark current, capacitance and TIA noise jointly affect receiver sensitivity; APDs also require gain and excess-noise analysis.
- PD 3 dB bandwidth (GHz), per-lane data rate (Gb/s) and aggregate module rate (Tb/s) are different metrics.
- Ge enables waveguides, detectors and other photonic components to share a fabrication platform; cost still depends on yield, volume and packaging.
CPO changes integration placement, not receiver functions
CPO moves optical engines close to the host chip to shorten high-speed electrical links, while retaining PD and TIA functions. PIC/EIC attachment, parasitics, heat, known-good dies and fiber attachment require joint design. LPO and some CPO architectures omit a module DSP, so a DSP is not a mandatory step here. Coherent receivers, PON and 850 nm GaAs receivers are not fully mapped.
Companies by industry role
Connected industry roles
Links describe supply, classification, technology or services. They do not establish transactions between individual companies.
Optical communications & interconnects → Optical receiver supply chain
Receiver value chain
Follow detector fabrication through receiver electronics, optical assembly and system integration.
imec | Ge growth, PICs and electronic integrationOptical receiver supply chain → Optical receiver integration
Receive-function integration
The overview links to the integrated receive function; a PD alone is not a receiver.
imec | Ge growth, PICs and electronic integrationOptical receiver supply chain ↔ Optical drivers & receivers
Receiver electronics
TIAs are receiver electronics and have a different role from transmit drivers.
Marvell | Transimpedance amplifiersOptical receiver supply chain ↔ Pluggable Optical Transceivers
Pluggable receive path
The pluggable format does not prescribe a PD material; selection is product- and platform-specific.
ST | PIC100 silicon photonics and Ge PD white paperOptical receiver supply chain ↔ Optical Engines
Optical-engine receive path
Optical engines integrate receive functions; CPO still needs PDs and receiver electronics.
NVIDIA | CPO integration and supplier roles