Tower Semiconductor Expands Photonics Platform Access Through OpenLight Partnership
Israeli foundry integrates OpenLight's design kit into Cadence tools to streamline development of photonic integrated circuits for AI and optical interconnect applications.
Partnership Targets Advanced Photonics Manufacturing
Tower Semiconductor Ltd. (NASDAQ/TASE: TSEM) announced on August 11, 2026, an expanded collaboration with OpenLight to integrate photonic design capabilities into mainstream chip design workflows, potentially accelerating development timelines for optical components used in AI infrastructure and high-speed data transmission (6-K filing, 2026-08-11).
The partnership makes OpenLight's photonic Process Design Kit (PDK) available on Cadence's electronic design automation (EDA) tools for Tower's PH18DA indium phosphide (InP)-on-silicon photonics platform. The integration enables engineers to design photonic integrated circuits (PICs) within the same software environment used for conventional semiconductor development, rather than requiring specialized photonics design tools.
Technical Capabilities and Target Markets
According to the filing, designs created using OpenLight's PDK support fabrication on Tower's PH18DA platform, which enables integration of active photonic components—including lasers, modulators, and amplifiers—into a single monolithic chip. The platform targets applications in optical interconnects, AI infrastructure, and sensing systems (6-K filing, 2026-08-11).
Dr. Samir Chaudhry, Vice President of Customer Design Enablement and Reliability at Tower Semiconductor, stated the approach "enables customers to streamline development of 400G and 1.6T laser-integrated photonic integrated circuits" for next-generation near- and co-packaged optics solutions (6-K filing, 2026-08-11).
The technology addresses growing demand for optical interconnects in data centers, where traditional copper-based connections face bandwidth and power efficiency limitations at higher data rates. Co-packaged optics, which position optical components directly alongside processors, represent a potential architecture shift for hyperscale computing infrastructure.
Ecosystem Development Strategy
The collaboration brings together three specialized capabilities: OpenLight's photonics intellectual property, Tower's semiconductor manufacturing processes, and Cadence's design software. Gilles Lamant, Distinguished Engineer at Cadence, characterized the integration as "a key milestone because it marks the introduction of integrated active devices for high-performance, co-optimized electro-optical designs" (6-K filing, 2026-08-11).
OpenLight, headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, recently completed a $50 million Series A-1 funding round, bringing total funding to $84 million (6-K filing, 2026-08-11). The company specializes in heterogeneous integration of III-V compound semiconductors with silicon photonics.
Tower Semiconductor operates five manufacturing facilities globally, including locations in Israel, the United States, Japan, and a shared facility in Italy with STMicroelectronics. The company focuses on analog semiconductor solutions across consumer, industrial, automotive, and infrastructure markets.
Market Context
According to MarginX data, Tower Semiconductor closed at $252.55 on August 11, 2026, with a market capitalization of approximately $28 billion. The company is expected to report third-quarter 2026 results on November 12, 2026. Recent insider activity shows sales by Russell Craig Ellwanger totaling 37,869 shares across three transactions.
The PH18DA platform expansion occurs as demand intensifies for optical components supporting AI training clusters and high-bandwidth computing applications, though Tower did not disclose specific customer commitments or revenue projections in the filing.
This article was generated by MarginX from the 6-K filing on 2026-08-11. It is not investment advice.