Tomorrow - ein McKinsey Podcast Licht statt Kupfer: Wie Black Semiconductor Rechenleistung neu denkt
Feb 5, 2026
Sebastian Schall, co-founder pushing European deep-tech and execution; Daniel Schall, CEO building graphene-based photonic chips to send data with light. They discuss replacing copper with optical links on chips. They explain why combining photonics and electronics matters. They outline energy, scalability limits and plans for pilot production and system validation.
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Photonics Adds A New Dimension To Scaling
- Moore's scaling limit forces a new dimension for computing: optics instead of further transistor shrinkage.
- Daniel Schall argues integrating photonics into chips lets systems scale without impossible transistor miniaturization.
Light Outperforms Copper For On-Chip Distances
- On-chip optical links beat copper for mid-range distances like meters to kilometers due to far lower loss.
- Sebastian Schall highlights that light transmits information millions of times better than electrical copper interconnects.
Graphene Pivot From Transistor To Photonics
- The team tested graphene first as a transistor material and found it unsuitable, then discovered its exceptional optical properties at RWTH Aachen.
- That pivot from disappointment to optical opportunity formed the technical core of Black Semiconductor.