Business briefs

21 Jun 2002

Including news from Sumitomo Electric Industries, Coherent, Heptagon, NeoPhotonics and more.

•  Japan-based Sumitomo Electric Industries (SEI) has developed a high-quality single-crystal gallium nitride (GaN) substrate for making violet semiconductor lasers. The substrate is said to have defect densities 100 000 times less than that of conventional GaN layers grown on sapphire. SEI has started shipping samples and is working to mass-produce the substrates for the so-called 'Blu-ray Disc' optical video recording technology.

•  Laser manufacturer Coherent and the semiconductor research consortium International SEMATECH are teaming-up to make lasers for writing advanced photomasks. In a multi-year agreement, the companies intend to develop sub-200 nm laser systems required to fabricate features less than 70 nm.

•  NeoPhotonics has received USD 35 million in its latest funding round. The US telecoms start-up uses nanotechnology to integrate active and passive functions into planar waveguide products.

•  GIAT Industries has selected Thales Optronics to supply the gunner's sight for the new French infantry VBCI fighting vehicle. The sight will comprise a thermal laser range finder, direct day optical and video channels for gunnery and a remote viewing capability for enhanced positional awareness. GIAT expects 550 vehicles to be produced by 2011.

•  DuPont Photomasks and fellow US firm Cypress Semiconductor are to jointly develop advanced photomasks for integrated circuits. The work includes development of phase-shifting photomasks that meet the requirements of 193 nm lithography.

•  The Institute of Photonics at Strathclyde University is to collaborate with Photonics Research Ontario (PRO) to promote research between Scottish and Canadian scientists. This understanding means that the two centers will co-operate on research opportunities, industrial problem solving and commercialization of intellectual property.

•  Heptagon of Finland has appointed Ivo Associates as its UK distributor. "We are proud to have Ivo as our distributor in one of our key markets," said Heptagon chief executive officer Andreas Herren. "We want to serve our UK and Eire customers with the best that is currently available in micro-optics."