The cost ratio of MIM process copper in optical modules increases simultaneously with the increase in module speed. In the current 800G/1.6T mainstream mass production scenario, its proportion of the total cost of a single module BOM is about 3% to 5%. In some customized liquid-cooled 1.6T modules with high heat dissipation requirements, the proportion can be increased to 5% to 7%.

Cost Ratio Range of Optical Modules with Different Rates

400G and below medium and low speed optical modules: low heat dissipation requirements, aluminum alloy shell is generally used instead of MIM copper plate, only a small number of high-end models are used, and the cost accounts for only 1% to 2%.

800G mainstream digital optical module: MIM copper plate is standard as the DSP chip heat dissipation base, and the procurement cost of a single block is about 50 yuan. The proportion of the corresponding single-module BOM is stable at 3% to 5%, which is the most common cost level in the current industry.

1.6T OSFP high-power optical module: power consumption exceeds 40W, some solutions directly replace the traditional zinc alloy shell with MIM copper plate, doubling the value of a single component, increasing the cost share to 5% to 7%, and some customized models with micro-channel liquid cooling structures can account for 8% to 10%.

CPO co-packaged optical module: the heat dissipation structure is greatly simplified, the amount of MIM copper is reduced, and the cost share is reduced to 2% to 4%.

The core influencing factors of cost ratio

Copper price fluctuations: In 2026, domestic electrolytic copper prices rose by more than 20% year-on-year, directly driving up the cost of raw materials for MIM copper plates. Some small and medium-sized manufacturers' cost of this component rose passively by 0.5 to 1 percentage point.

Mass production scale effect: annual procurement of more than 10 million pieces of head light module manufacturers, through the centralized price lock procurement can reduce the MIM copper plate unit price by 15%~ 20%, the corresponding cost ratio can be reduced to 2.5%~ 3% range.

Process complexity: MIM copper plate with special-shaped pin ribs and micro-channel structure has a yield loss cost that is 2 to 3 times that of ordinary plate copper plate, corresponding to a higher value of a single component, and the cost ratio is also increased simultaneously.

Industry cost structure reference

The current core cost of high-speed optical modules is concentrated in optical chips (40% to 60%), DSP electrical chips (10% to 30%), PCB boards account for about 5% to 8%, and MIM copper plates, as the core category of metal structural parts, are within the total cost range of 18% to 22% of metal structural parts, making it the second largest structural part cost item after PCB.