Huachen Core Optoelectronics

Zhejiang Huachen Core Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd., also known as Huachen Xinguang, is a high-tech enterprise founded in September 2021 that operates on an Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM) model. The company focuses on the research, development, and manufacturing of high-reliability semiconductor laser chips and modules. Huachen Xinguang's chairman, Liu Zhihua, has 27 years of experience in the optical communication industry, including roles at Lumentum, and co-founded the company with CTO Dr. Ming Wei. Dr. Wei holds a Ph.D. from the University of Central Florida's College of Optics and previously worked as an engineering and production director at Lumentum in Silicon Valley, where he was involved in developing laser chips for products like the Xbox Kinect and Apple's Face ID. The company's strategy involves tackling the high-end optical chip market, historically dominated by foreign companies, by establishing its own fabrication plant (Fab) and controlling the entire production process from design to manufacturing. This IDM model allows for faster product iteration and lower costs. Huachen Xinguang has secured significant funding, completing five rounds totaling nearly 500 million RMB in less than four years, including an A++ round of nearly 200 million RMB in March 2025 and a new round of over 100 million RMB in July 2026. These funds are allocated towards new product development, market expansion, and enhancing mass-production testing capabilities. Huachen Xinguang's core products include both edge-emitting lasers (EEL) and vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL). Their offerings cater to several key markets: artificial intelligence, data communications, satellite communications, and automotive LiDAR. For the data communication market, the company has developed 50G and 100G PAM4 VCSEL products to support high-speed 400G and 800G optical modules. In the telecommunications sector, Huachen Xinguang produces high-power single-mode pump laser chips, such as the 1000mW 974nm/976nm chip, which are critical for signal amplification in fiber optic networks and are designed to have a lifespan of over 100,000 hours. The company has also developed products for the automotive LiDAR market, including high-reliability pump laser chips for 1550nm systems. A key proprietary technology is the WXP laser facet passivation process, which significantly improves the chip's damage threshold and extends its lifespan by more than tenfold. Keywords: semiconductor laser chips, optoelectronics, vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser, VCSEL, edge-emitting laser, EEL, integrated device manufacturer, IDM, optical communication, data centers, automotive LiDAR, satellite communications, pump laser chips, PAM4, gallium arsenide, GaAs, indium phosphide, InP, Liu Zhihua, Ming Wei, high-power lasers, fiber optics, laser diodes, optical modules