Optelian announces that Compound Semiconductor Technologies will supply grown gallium arsenide wafers to its Versawave Division as a key component of Versawave’s ultra high-speed optical modulator technology.
Under this foundry agreement, CST will supply to Versawave fully processed GaAs wafers with an optical coating, as designed and specified by Versawave.
“We are delighted to be working with a world-class partner like Compound Semiconductor Technologies,” says David Weymouth, Optelian’s CEO. “Their Class 50 cleanroom environment, combined with full ISO compliance, enables Optelian to maintain our exceptionally high manufacturing standards.”
In conjunction with this agreement, Optelian has also ramped up Versawave facilities at its corporate and manufacturing headquarters in Ottawa. The wafers supplied by CST will be integrated into Versawave opto-electical modules by Optelian’s manufacturing team.
“Quality is a core aspect of the culture here at Optelian,” says Dennis Isotti, Vice President of Operations. “Optelian is TL-9000 certified, which is a catalyst that helps create an environment of continuous improvement for the organization. We are proud of our North American manufacturing capabilities and have the expertise to ramp up production of Versawave modules to orders of magnitude above the current production capacity.”
Versawave module production will be transferred into a newly built custom cleanroom space where process and operations will be fully integrated into Optelian’s production and quality control systems. Manufacturing is capable of 24/7 production, resulting in shorter lead times while ensuring on-time customer delivery and quality.
“Moving R&D and Operations under the same roof will not only make us more efficient, but also more agile,” says Simon Benwell, Director of Advanced Optical Components, at Optelian’s Versawave Division. “By having R&D work in conjunction with the production teams, our NPI times will reduce significantly while our production capacity will drastically increase. These are both essential for our new products coming onto the market in 2014 and beyond.”
Optelian provides Intuitive Packet Optical Networking to deliver next generation services. CST is a “pure play” semiconductor foundry specializing in the design, development, and manufacture of discrete and integrated III-V opto-electronic devices, and is based in Glasgow, U.K.
Release Date: March 6, 2014
Source: Optelian
