Business briefs

12 Aug 2005

Including news from Universal Display Corporation, Cree, OmniVision, DALSA and more.

•  Universal Display Corporation (UDC) has received a $98,894 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the US Department of Energy. The goal of this nine-month program is to increase the brightness and power efficiency of white OLED lighting. UDC will use emissive layer architectures fabricated using its organic vapor phase deposition technology.

•  OmniVision, US, is supplying CMOS image sensors for use on NASA's Picosat and Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Systems Engineering (PAUSE) Mars prototype aerobot project. The company's imagers are also being used in the MicroLink MEMS-enabled nanosatellite project being carried out by the Angstrom Aerospace Corporation of Sweden.

•  DALSA and Xerox are teaming up to develop MEMS-based technologies. "We chose DALSA because we needed a supplier who had the capability to integrate MEMS and high-voltage CMOS and that could do wafer-level packaging," said Steven Bolte of Xerox.

•  Cree's chief financial officer Cynthia Merrell has submitted her resignation to the company. The resignation will be effective when a successor takes office, but not later than mid-February 2006. "I believe that the timing of my resignation is appropriate as the company is well positioned for its next phase of growth," said Merrell.

•  Alphion of the US, a maker of integrated components for photonic regeneration and wavelength management has raised an additional $1.5 million in its third round of venture financing. This brings the round to a close on $12.1 million and the total investment in the company to $44.1 million.

•  Phasebridge of the US has been awarded a contract to develop integrated fiber-optic transmitters and receivers to be deployed on the P-3C maritime patrol aircraft. Based on the company's hybrid integration technology, the RF fiber-optic links will deliver high bandwidth in extreme environmental conditions.

•  UK-based Purex International, an expert in extracting hazardous fumes, is opening a US office in Gurnee, Illnois. The Purex Americas office will provide support to customers in North America, Canada and Mexico. It will also house a training and demonstration area.