Korea Advanced Materials Signs Technology Transfer Agreement with ETRI for Next-Generation TFLN Optical Modulator

Korea Advanced Materials (CEO Cho Heonjeong) announced on January 20 that it has signed a technology transfer agreement with the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) for next-generation thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) based optical modulator device technology.

The technology transferred to Korea Advanced Materials is the first in Korea to implement an ultra-high-speed optical modulator exceeding 50 GHz based on the TFLN platform, achieving a half-wave voltage (Vπ) of less than 1.5V for driving voltage.

A representative from Korea Advanced Materials explained, "This technology not only enables low-power operation, but also simultaneously delivers excellent linearity and low insertion loss, making it a core fundamental technology applicable to next-generation high-speed optical communication and quantum information processing systems."

The representative added, "In particular, it includes the design and process technology for phase modulators operating at the 1550nm optical communication wavelength, performance evaluation methods, and patent implementation rights, making immediate commercialization possible."

The technology readiness level (TRL) of this technology is at stage 5, with prototype production and technical feasibility verification already completed.

Optical modulators are key components used in optical transceivers for data centers and optical input/output modules in semiconductor packages. In particular, TFLN-based optical modulators are attracting attention as essential parts for Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) modules for artificial intelligence (AI) computation accelerators, due to their superior high-speed operation and low-power characteristics compared to conventional silicon photonics.

An industry official stated, "Photonics-based quantum computers are currently being actively researched at major research institutes worldwide," adding, "This technology is attracting attention as a next-generation quantum computing platform because it can operate at room temperature, is advantageous for long-distance transmission, offers high compatibility with existing optical communication and optical network infrastructure, and can be massively scaled in the form of photonic integrated circuits (PICs)."

In photonics-based quantum computers, TFLN optical modulators generate the state of qubits and precisely control operations, minimizing system errors. Furthermore, they serve as core control devices by connecting individual modules and networks.

Optical communication technology utilizing TFLN-based optical modulators enables ultra-high-speed transmission of over 25 GHz per channel, allowing for terabit-level data transfer, and is being used as ultra-high-speed connection technology in AI data centers. In particular, technologies that encode quantum information by modulating the intensity or phase of photons are increasingly being utilized in quantum communication, quantum computing, and quantum sensor fields, establishing themselves as key technologies at the stage of practical application.

Korea Advanced Materials expects that this technology transfer will contribute to the localization of core CPO chips, which are gaining attention alongside the expansion of AI infrastructure. The company plans to leverage its existing capabilities in optical device manufacturing and processing technology to sequentially carry out prototype production and real-world operation verification. Through this, it aims to specify product lines where the technology can be applied and systematically verify the potential for full-scale commercialization.

A company representative stated, "This technology transfer is significant in that we have secured a key component technology for realizing high-speed, low-power optical communication," adding, "We plan to foster it as a mid- to long-term growth engine by pursuing step-by-step productization and commercialization centered on this proven technology."

Meanwhile, according to market research firm Astute Analytica, the global TFLN device market is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 40%, from approximately $165.37 million (about 23.66 billion won) in 2024 to around $3.18883 billion (about 469.2 billion won) by 2033.