Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1541367
NOVEMBER 2025 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 75 Where Does This Leave the PCB? As technology is pushed and the traditional definitions, and indeed, the functionality of substrates and interposers become broader, where exactly does this leave the PCB? By all the information recounted here, substrates and interposers—once a connec- tor between the PCB and the die or chip— now act as more complex interconnection vehicles themselves, in many ways, parallel- ling the traditional role of the PCB. Will both be needed or will substrates and/or inter- poser technology make the PCB obsolete once certain tech boundaries are crossed? I don't think anyone believes the need for traditional rigid PCBs will go away completely. For much technology, it will remain, by far, the most economical answer to connectivity. But as HDI moves more squarely into UHDI and the pressure is on mil/aero/defense suppliers to be able to offer the best in high tech manu- facturing—not just what domestic suppliers are able to do—will substrate and interposer manufacturing be the next logical chapter for what has been the traditional PCB shop, albeit with different equipment and materials? For the PCB manufacturing sectors in the U.S. and Europe, it's unrealistic at this juncture to bring advanced PCB manufacturing back onshore from China due to the prohibitive costs that private companies cannot absorb. So, is the natural solution to leapfrog beyond advanced PCB technology and dive headlong into substrates and interposer manufacturing, to guarantee that the struggling manufactur- ing sectors of the West will have a strong foot- hold in technology that matters going into the future? Certainly, right now, there are many more questions than answers, but I believe the blurred lines and broadened definitions of traditional substrate and interposer technol- ogy have tremendous implications for the PCB market and its processes downstream. Subscribe to Advanced Electronics Pack- aging Digest. PCB07 POET Technologies and Quantum Computing Inc. to Co-develop 3.2 Tbps Optical Engines for CPO and Next-gen AI Connectivity POET Technologies Inc., a leader in the design and implementation of highly-integrated opti- cal engines and light sources for artificial intel- ligence networks, and Quantum Computing Inc., an innovative integrated photonics and quantum optics technology company, today announced a strategic collaboration to develop 400G/Lane thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) modulator-based 3.2Tbps engines that will be designed to lead the next era of computing. QCi will leverage its expertise with TFLN to in- tegrate the high-performance 400G/Lane mod- ulators with the POET Optical Interposer™ plat- form technology. When complete, the engine will provide industry-leading data-transfer speeds at 3.2Tbps and beyond, meeting the massive de- mand of AI systems networks and datacenter hy- perscalers. "To achieve a commercially viable optical mod- ulator that operates at 400G/Lane requires an integration platform such as the POET Optical Interposer. When we combine POET's platform technology with QCi's integrated photonics de- signs, the result is a solution that addresses the global demand for more compute power," said Dr. Yong Meng Sua, chief technology officer at QCi. "We look forward to this collaboration with POET and exploring our shared long-term vision for how to bring more efficient and better-per- forming compute devices to the market." (Source: PR Newswire) ⊲