19 April 2016

IQE joins €15m MIRPHAB project to establish mid-infrared photonics device fabrication supply chain

Epiwafer foundry and substrate maker IQE plc of Cardiff, Wales, UK has joined the new consortium MIRPHAB (Mid InfraRed PHotonics devices fABrication for chemical sensing and spectroscopic applications), which will establish a €15m pilot line to serve the growing needs of European industry in analytical micro-sensors. Funding comes from the both the European Commission's Photonics Public Private Partnership under the Horizon 2020 program (€13m) and the Swiss Government (€2m). IQE's role will be to provide consortium partners and commercial customers with a volume source of mid-infrared laser epitaxial wafers.

MIRPHAB's aim is to establish a European-based production capability for mid-IR photonics devices. By bringing together high-volume epiwafer production facilities at IQE along with key end-users, the consortium will deliver an end-to-end production supply chain for mid-IR devices for a wide range of infrared sensing applications.

Mid-infrared lasers and detectors are a key enabling technology in applications where the precise and fast detection of chemicals in gases and liquids is required. The rapid growth in demand for mid-IR devices will be exploited by the pilot line in product areas that include:

• measurement and control of environmental pollutants from industrial manufacturing processes and automotive engines;
• stand-off detection of explosives and biological threats;
• non-invasive medical diagnosis; and
• specialized free-space communication systems.

In addition, the initiative will provide open access to the European photonics industry, focusing on innovative SMEs, catering for their requirements to prototype a wide range of mid-IR devices for multiple end-use applications.

"IQE has established a strong track record in the manufacture of compound semiconductor wafers for laser applications, so we are very pleased to participate in MIRPHAB and provide the consortium with a commercial source of mid-infrared epitaxial wafers," says Dr Mark Furlong, VP of IQE's Infrared business unit. "With demand for mid-infrared devices growing rapidly, supporting the pilot line with a high production volume capability for wafers will be essential."

Tags: IQE

Visit: www.mirphab.eu

Visit: www.iqep.com