MediaTek Develops Active Optical Cable Technology with Microsoft Research to Deliver Significant Improvements in Data Center Efficiency

Rhea-AI Summary

MediaTek (OTC:MDTKF) and Microsoft Research announced a joint design for an Active MicroLED Cable that targets major data center trade-offs by using miniaturized MicroLED light sources.

Key claims: up to 50% lower power versus VCSEL-based AOCs, copper-level reliability, monolithic CMOS integration, and scalability to 800 Gbps within QSFP/OSFP form factors. The partners are exploring miniaturization and mass-production readiness for AI datacenter deployment.

Positive

• Power reduction: up to 50% lower than VCSEL-based AOCs
• Scalability to 800 Gbps within standard QSFP/OSFP form factors
• Monolithic CMOS integration consolidates SoC, drivers, and TIAs on one die

Negative

• Mass-production readiness and miniaturization remain under active exploration

Joint design uses MicroLED-powered light sources to solve critical trade-offs in data center transmissions 

CAMBRIDGE, England, March 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A collaborative team of researchers from MediaTek, Microsoft Research, and other suppliers have successfully designed a next-generation Active Optical Cable (AOC) powered by miniaturized MicroLED light sources. This revolutionary design of an Active MicroLED Cable can significantly improve power efficiency in data centers compared to current technologies. The use of an Active MicroLED Cable would also deliver high-reliability like copper but at a much farther reach.

Today's data center networks compromise between reach, power, and reliability. Electrical copper links are energy-efficient but limited to less than 2 meters. Traditional laser-based optical links reach farther but are power hungry and suffer from failure rates up to 100 times higher than copper. By combining MediaTek's engineering innovation with Microsoft Research's MOSAIC technology, this new Active MicroLED Cable design helps solve this trade-off by replacing traditional "Narrow-and-Fast" (NaF) laser channels with hundreds of parallel, low-speed MicroLED channels ("wide-and-slow").

"This collaboration leverages both companies' deep technology expertise and industry leadership and understanding of data center design to solve critical industry limitations and bottlenecks," said Vince Hu, Corporate Vice President, MediaTek. "By miniaturizing MicroLED technology and integrating it into transceivers that are compatible with current data center equipment, the industry can transition to the new technology seamlessly."

Demonstrating a fully-integrated end-to-end design, the joint project for the Active MicroLED Cable yields several notable breakthroughs:

• Power Savings: By using directly modulated MicroLEDs and eliminating complex Digital Signal Processing (DSP), the cable could achieve up to 50% lower power than conventional VCSEL-based AOCs.
• Copper-Level Reliability: Leveraging MicroLEDs' simple structure, high endurance and temperature insensitivity, the link achieves higher reliability than current laser-based optics, matching the dependability of copper.
• Extended Reach: The design achieves high-reliability transmission like copper but at a much farther reach, making it ideal for massive cross-rack connections in AI training clusters.
• Scalability: Scaled-up bandwidth can be achieved by either increasing the number of optical lanes within a single cable or enhancing the per-channel data rate.
• Monolithic CMOS Integration: A single, custom-designed monolithic CMOS chip integrates the entire electronic functions, including the SoC logic, gear box, high-density MicroLED drivers, and high-sensitivity Transimpedance Amplifiers (TIAs). By consolidating these building blocks onto a single die, the design eliminates the power and latency overhead typically associated with multi-chip interconnects.
• Heterogeneous Integration: The MicroLED array and Photodetector (PD) array are directly bonded onto this monolithic CMOS chip. This advanced co-packaging approach removes the physical constraints of traditional wire-bonding and long interconnect routings, enabling a significantly smaller pixel pitch and ultra-dense channel arrays.

"The combination of Microsoft Research's breakthrough technology with the engineering excellence of MediaTek and our other partners has opened the door to a major leap in AI datacenter efficiency," said Doug Burger, Technical Fellow and Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Research. "This partnership will allow us to build systems that are more efficient, more reliable, lower cost, while enabling more powerful AI scenarios."

The joint design of the Active MicroLED Cable can scale to 800 Gbps and beyond within standard QSFP/OSFP form factors. The two parties continue to explore opportunities in miniaturization and mass production readiness to advance the future development of gigawatt-scale AI data centers.

For more information about this new technology, please go here.

About MediaTek Inc.

MediaTek (TWSE: 2454) is a global leader in fabless semiconductor design, providing solutions from the edge to the cloud. Powering over 2 billion connected devices every year, MediaTek's leading-edge technology keeps the world connected and enhances everyday life. At the forefront of innovation, MediaTek drives advancements in transformative technologies such as AI, 5G/6G, and Wi-Fi 7/Wi-Fi 8. Our high-performance, power-efficient products form the foundation for a smarter, more connected world, enabling devices from smartphones, smart homes and AI PCs to high-performance computing, automotive, and AI data centers. As a trusted partner to the world's leading brands, MediaTek leads the industry in creating solutions that meet the evolving needs of the global community, ensuring access to world-class technology for everyone. Our commitment to accelerating AI underscores our dedication to enriching the future of humanity. Visit http://www.mediatek.com for more information.

Contact: Kevin Keating, pr@mediatek.com

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SOURCE MediaTek Inc.

FAQ

What power savings does MediaTek's MDTKF Active MicroLED Cable claim to deliver?

It claims up to 50% lower power versus VCSEL-based active optical cables. According to MediaTek, savings come from directly modulated MicroLEDs and eliminating complex DSP, lowering per-link energy for data center interconnects.

How fast can the MediaTek (MDTKF) Active MicroLED Cable scale in bandwidth?

The design can scale to 800 Gbps within QSFP/OSFP form factors. According to MediaTek, scalability is achieved by increasing optical lanes or per-channel data rate using ultra-dense MicroLED channel arrays.

Does MediaTek say the Active MicroLED Cable matches copper reliability for MDTKF?

Yes — the joint design claims copper-level reliability due to MicroLEDs' simple structure and temperature insensitivity. According to MediaTek, this yields higher reliability than current laser-based optics for long-reach links.

What integration advantage does MediaTek highlight for the MDTKF cable design?

A single custom monolithic CMOS chip integrates SOC logic, MicroLED drivers, and TIAs. According to MediaTek, this consolidation removes multi-chip interconnect overhead, reducing power and latency within the transceiver.

Is the MediaTek (MDTKF) Active MicroLED Cable ready for mass production and deployment?

Not yet — the partners are still exploring miniaturization and mass-production readiness. According to MediaTek, additional work toward manufacturing scale and readiness is ongoing for gigawatt-scale AI datacenter use.