Xi’an Optoelectronics Pilot Institute (XOPT) · 陕西光电子先导院科技有限公司
Shaanxi Pilot Institute of Optoelectronics | Research Fab
Northwest China’s first silicon-photonics pilot line, activated 4 November 2025 (cumulative platform investment ~¥1.5 billion) and selected into MIIT’s first national manufacturing-pilot-platform list; on 23 August 2026 it opened commercial tape-out and released production-grade process data (LPSIN400 SiN PDK) — the first public domestic SiPh PDK of its kind.
Chinese name: 陕西光电子先导院科技有限公司 (Shǎnxī Guāngdiànzǐ Xiāndǎoyuàn Kējì Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī)
What does this facility make?
Silicon-photonic chips (AI interconnect, LiDAR, optical computing) and GaAs VCSEL optoelectronics on pilot/MPW services; 6-inch compound line online since 2023 with 20+ PDKs and 80+ customers.
Why does it matter?
Core of Shaanxi’s ‘Chasing Light’ photonics program (409 firms, ¥41 billion output in 2025) — and an operator claim worth tracking: SiPh tape-out cycles ‘5x faster than overseas’, because the alternative for Chinese designers was queuing at foreign pilot fabs.
Key Facts
| Company | Shaanxi Pilot Institute of Optoelectronics |
| Type | Research Fab |
| Category | State-Backed |
| Capability | Dual pilot lines: 8-inch silicon photonics (130nm IMEC SiPh kit, DUV litho, ~¥750 million platform) + 6-inch compound semiconductor (GaAs VCSEL); ~8,000 sqm cleanroom, ~200 tools |
| Status | Operational |
| Capacity | Not yet recorded |
| Investment | ¥15亿元 |
| Funding Source | Local Govt |
| Location | Xi’an, Shaanxi |
| Current Node | Not yet researched |
| Entity List | No |
| Equipment Origin | Not yet assessed |
| Last Verified | Not recorded (newest source dated Aug 2026) |
Technical Complexity
2.6/5
Technology Node Trajectory
Node history not yet researched.
Project Timeline
- Jan 2015 — Founded by CAS Xi’an Institute of Optics + provincial/high-tech-zone government
- Mar 2023 — 6-inch compound-semiconductor platform opens
- Nov 2025 — 8-inch silicon-photonics pilot line activated — first in northwest China
- Aug 2026 — First public release of production-grade SiPh PDK; full commercial tape-out opens
Sources
- 西北地区首条硅光中试线通线 (陕西省人民政府) (06 Nov 2025)
- 破局’芯’困境！西北首条硅光中试线正式通线 (中国科学报) (05 Nov 2025)
- 西北首条8英寸硅光中试平台核心工艺数据首次公开 (西安市科技局) (26 Aug 2026)