Introduction: During the Optics Expo, Bozhong Semiconductor was interviewed by ICC Xingshi Optical Communications to share the company's technological layout and industry trends.

ICC News: At the CIOE China Optical Communication Expo, the high-speed optical module sector remained highly popular. With the continuous expansion of AI computing power, the large-scale production of 800G and the gradual introduction of 1.6T, optical module manufacturers collectively initiated capacity expansion. However, expansion is not simply about increasing the number of equipment; the complexity of high-density packaging technology has increased, labor costs have risen, and delivery cycles have been under pressure, forcing the entire industry to shift from individual machine procurement to the transformation to full-line automation. ICC News: In a conversation with Fu Jiangbo, the R&D director of Shengze and Bozhong Semiconductor, we observed how domestic automation equipment enterprises responded to the two core demands of the optical module industry - capacity expansion and production line upgrading.

The pain points and core solutions behind capacity expansion

Behind the tight supply of high-speed optical modules lies multiple contradictions at the production end. On one hand, market orders have increased significantly, and customers have raised their requirements for equipment delivery timeliness; on the other hand, the packaging process of the new generation of optical components is more stringent, and integrated solutions such as COB, CPO/NPO have set higher standards for assembly and coupling accuracy. The traditional decentralized single-machine production mode, with slow changeover, numerous manual participation steps, and large yield fluctuations, has become unable to support large-scale stable production. In this context, automated equipment with high precision, high stability, high flexibility, and high maintainability has become the core solution for optical module manufacturers to expand production. The equipment matrix showcased by Bozhong Semiconductor at this CIOE is precisely a product combination aimed at addressing these industry pain points.

Core Equipment Matrix: Directly Addressing High Precision Packaging and Coupling
At this exhibition, Bozhong Semiconductor showcased two core packaging equipment: the Starwei EF6621 Sintered Soldering Machine and the Starwei EG9722 Bonding Soldering Machine.

Starwei EF6621 Sintered Soldering Machine: Targeted at the high-end packaging scenarios of compound semiconductor, it relies on a precise linear motor motion system and an efficient, stable sintering heating system, combined with a high-precision vision recognition system and a closed-loop control system, to ensure stable assembly; it can be compatible with various processes such as COC, COS, Gold Box, etc., and is suitable for the packaging of high-speed optical module lasers and detectors.

Starwei EG9722 Bonding Soldering Machine: Adopting a parallel multi-station architecture, it balances production capacity and flexible changeover capabilities, suitable for large-scale batch bonding production of medium-speed optical components.

At the same time, the subsidiary of Bozhong Precision, Zhongnan Hongsi, showcased the CPO/NPO Automatic Coupling Machine and the FA, Lens, COB series automatic coupling equipment, covering the coupling requirements of the next-generation high-density optical interconnection devices, and filling the key equipment link from chip assembly to optical coupling.

Strategies for Dealing with Delivery and Flexibility Challenges

During the period of concentrated order outbursts, the equipment delivery capability directly determines the expansion progress of optical module manufacturers. Fu Jiangbo mentioned that one of the biggest challenges in the current industry is the contradiction between the equipment delivery cycle and the rapid expansion needs of customers. If equipment is delayed in delivery, the customer's production line planning and order acceptance will be affected in a chain reaction. Therefore, Bozhong addresses this issue from three aspects:
1. Strengthen the equipment process flexibility compatibility capability: One piece of equipment can be adapted to multiple types of components, reducing the machine modification time for customers to add new production lines.
2. Adhere to the design of high precision and long-term stability of equipment: Reduce the risk of production line shutdown and debugging during the mass production stage, and ensure that the yield of the customer's production after commissioning is controllable.
3. Optimize the internal supply chain and production scheduling: Build an intelligent production scheduling system internally, optimize supply chain management and the overall assembly process, improve equipment delivery efficiency, and ensure that the customer's expansion plan is implemented on time.

From single machines to entire lines: The evolution trend of optical communication equipment
The industry demand is undergoing a deeper transformation: Large-scale optical module customers no longer simply purchase single-machine equipment, but initiate projects for the automated upgrade of optical module entire lines. The reliance on manual transfer between multiple processes and data silos has become a bottleneck restricting the overall production efficiency improvement.

Therefore, Bozhong Semiconductor is transforming from a single-machine equipment supplier to a service provider of entire-line automation solutions. Relying on the technical accumulation of Bozhong Precision in intelligent manufacturing, Bozhong Semiconductor can provide customers with an integrated entire-line solution from chip bonding, co-precipitation mounting, optical coupling, module assembly, and online detection. The entire solution can be customized according to the customer's product architecture, production capacity targets, and factory conditions, connect the equipment data of each process, reduce human intervention, shorten the production cycle, and continuously improve the overall production yield and capacity of high-speed optical modules.

As the market evolves from plug-in optical module solutions to NPO/CPO, Bozhong Semiconductor is expanding its layout from single-machine equipment to entire-line solutions, closely following the industry technological evolution and production requirements. Its product layout reflects the development trend of the domestic optical communication equipment industry: The capacity competition of high-speed optical modules is essentially a competition of production processes and automation capabilities. In the short term, equipment manufacturers need to ensure stable delivery to support customers' rapid capacity ramp-up; in the long term, they must continuously refine products and possess the ability to provide system solutions, adapting to CPO, NPO, and other new integrated optical interconnection technologies.

△ Bozhong Semiconductor team takes a photo with ICC Xingshi

At the CIOE exhibition, it is clearly observable that domestic automated equipment is deeply integrated into the high-speed optical module industry chain. With the continuous growth in AI computing power demand driving the iterative upgrade of optical modules, automated and intelligent production lines will become standard equipment for leading manufacturers. Companies like Bozhong Semiconductor, among others, representing domestic equipment enterprises, are constantly making breakthroughs in packaging, coupling, and overall line automation, continuously assisting the domestic optical module industry in achieving efficient expansion and supporting the large-scale implementation of next-generation high-speed optical interconnection technologies.