2 July 2018

Finisar to open new 3D VCSEL production facility in Texas

© Semiconductor Today Magazine / Juno PublishiPicture: Disco’s DAL7440 KABRA laser saw.

Finisar Corp of Sunnyvale, CA, USA, which makes optical communication modules and vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) for 3D sensing applications, is to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on 9 July to celebrate its new manufacturing facility in Sherman, Texas, with speakers from its executive management team (including CEO Michael Hurlston) as well as local community leaders.

Finisar will use the site to increase production capacity of its VCSELs and related 3D sensing technologies, used in a wide range of applications.

Formerly owned by MEMC and SunEdison, the building has been under renovation since December 2017 and is on target to begin production by the end of 2018. It is currently certified as cleanroom operational and the first production tooling has been installed and qualified. Finisar has hired nearly 200 employees, including the operations and support staff necessary to begin production. Finisar expects to expand hiring further later this year to support the anticipated ramp to high-volume production.

The new facility will “expand critical production capacity of our VCSEL products needed to support customer requirements,” says Hurlston. “We are also pleased to create hundreds of manufacturing jobs in the US and to hire talent from the local area as we work together to make Sherman the VCSEL capital of the world.”

Finisar’s experience with VCSEL technology spans more than two decades of engineering research, development, design and manufacturing, producing more than 300 million VCSEL die. Originally used in its optical communication products, Finisar says that VCSEL technology is extending into consumer and scientific applications including 3D facial recognition, augmented reality, automotive in-cabin sensing and automotive light detection & ranging (LiDAR).

See related items:

Apple awards Finisar $390m to increase production of VCSELs

Tags: Finisar

Visit: www.finisar.com