6 March 2014

CST to supply GaAs wafers to Optelian’s Versawave Division for optical modulators

Packet optical networking system maker Optelian of Ottawa, ON, Canada says that optoelectronics device foundry Compound Semiconductor Technologies (CST) of Hamilton, Scotland, UK will supply grown gallium arsenide (GaAs) wafers to its Versawave Division as a key component of Versawave’s ultra-high-speed optical modulator technology.

CST was formed in 1999 by the universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow (together with Scottish Enterprise) as a ‘pure play’ foundry, designing, developing and manufacturing discrete and integrated III-V optoelectronic wafers and chips for clients in communications, defense, medical and instrumentation.

Acquired by Optelian in 2011, Versawave posseses patented polarization modulation technology. Under the new foundry agreement, CST will supply to Versawave fully processed GaAs wafers with an optical coating, as designed and specified by Versawave.

“Their Class 50 cleanroom environment, combined with full ISO compliance, enables Optelian to maintain our exceptionally high manufacturing standards,” says Optelian’s CEO David Weymouth about CST.

In conjunction, 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-electrical modules by Optelian’s manufacturing team.

“Optelian is TL-9000 certified, which is a catalyst that helps create an environment of continuous improvement for the organization,” says Dennis Isotti, Optelian’s VP of Operations. “We 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, says Optelian.

“Moving R&D and Operations under the same roof will not only make us more efficient, but also more agile,” reckons 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,” he adds. “These are both essential for our new products coming onto the market in 2014 and beyond.”

Optelian’s Versawave Division will be represented in booth #2502 at OFC 2014 in San Francisco (11-13 March).

See related items:

Optical transport system maker Optelian acquires Versawave

Tags: GaAs Optical modulators CSTG

Visit: www.optelian.com

Visit: www.versawave.com