Rising investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure is increasing demand for manufacturing technologies used to produce semiconductor packages, optical interconnects and other components for data center hardware, according to femtosecond laser manufacturer LITILIT.
Goldman Sachs estimates that annual capital expenditure on AI infrastructure will rise from $765 billion in 2026 to $1.6 trillion by 2031, driven by spending on computing capacity, data center construction and energy infrastructure. The bank has also identified power, labor and equipment constraints as factors that could slow the conversion of capital spending into operational data centers.
The expansion is also increasing demand for technologies designed to improve data transfer between computing components. TrendForce forecasts that the market for co-packaged and near-packaged optics will grow from about $100 million in 2025 to more than $39 billion by 2030.
Femtosecond lasers are one of the technologies used to manufacture components for these systems. The lasers produce pulses lasting quadrillionths of a second, allowing materials to be cut, drilled or otherwise processed while limiting heat transfer to surrounding areas.
Applications include the production of glass interposers, which provide electrical connections between chiplets in advanced semiconductor packages. Femtosecond lasers can drill microscopic holes through glass substrates, after which the openings can be filled with copper to create vertical electrical connections.
“Many advanced AI components, from semiconductor packages, glass substrates, to optical interconnects and advanced PCBs, require manufacturing technologies that can process materials without introducing heat damage,” said Nikolajus Gavrilinas, co-founder and CEO of LITILIT.
According to Gavrilinas, conventional lasers and mechanical drilling methods can cause glass to crack or chip because of uneven heating. Femtosecond lasers reduce that risk by delivering energy over extremely short periods, limiting the amount of heat transferred to the material around the processing area.
The technology is also used for cutting, trimming and other precision manufacturing tasks in components intended for data center equipment.
Scaling production of femtosecond lasers remains a manufacturing challenge, according to LITILIT. Many systems originated as scientific instruments and can require specialist assembly and adjustment, making automation and higher-volume production more difficult.
LITILIT has developed a laser architecture based on patented technology created by co-founders Kęstutis Regelskis, Nerijus Rusteika and Gavrilinas in collaboration with the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology in Vilnius. The company says the design reduces component complexity and allows more of the manufacturing process to be automated.
LITILIT has started construction of a laser factory in Vilnius and plans to use the facility as a model that could later be replicated with international partners.
