Semiconductor today

Ion implantation system maker Axcelis Technologies Inc of Beverly, MA, USA and epitaxial deposition and process equipment maker Veeco Instruments Inc of Plainview, NY, USA have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock merger, forming a a semiconductor equipment supplier worth about $4.4bn (based on Axcelis’ and Veeco’s closing share prices as of end-September, and outstanding debt as of end-June) offering an expanded product portfolio for complementary, diversified and growing end markets. On a pro-forma basis for fiscal year 2024, the combined company generated revenue of $1.7bn, non-GAAP gross margin of 44% and adjusted EBITDA of $387m (not including expected cost and revenue synergies)...

NUBURU Inc of Centennial, CO, USA — which was founded in 2015 and developed and previously manufactured high-power industrial blue lasers — has implemented a dual-CEO structure, complementing Alessandro Zamboni’s role as executive chairman and supports the company’s ongoing transformation plan. The plan aims to achieve revenue growth starting in Q4 2025 through strategic acquisitions and international alliances, while also managing increased organizational complexity...

Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system maker Riber S.A. of Bezons, France has confirmed a 22% drop in revenue from €13.7m in first-half 2024 to €10.7m for first-half 2025, reflecting a delivery schedule that is concentrated into second-half 2025. The firm says that, in a complex international environment, it recorded solid commercial activity, despite particularly pronounced seasonality...

Photonic integration firm Photon Bridge of Eindhoven, The Netherlands is collaborating with transceiver maker PICadvanced of Ílhavo Portugal to showcase prototype transceivers built using its multi-material integrated photonics platform...

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) has announced up to $6m in federal funding available for R&D projects to help establish a secure domestic supply chain for gallium...

Photonic integration firm Photon Bridge of Eindhoven, The Netherlands has debuted its integrated tunable laser photonic integrated circuit (PIC), powered by its patented cantilever waveguide coupling technology (which combines III-V speed with silicon scale)...

Nuburu Inc of Centennial, CO, USA — which was founded in 2015 and developed and previously manufactured high-power industrial blue lasers — has announced a quarterly update on its business performance, strategic initiatives, and outlook for the upcoming period...

Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany has expanded its CoolSiC MOSFETs 400V G2 portfolio with the top-side-cooled (TSC) TOLT package as well as the TO-247-3 and TO-247-4 packages. In addition, three new products in the TOLL package have been introduced, with rated voltages of 440V (continuous) and 455V (transient)...

Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany has expanded its CoolSiC MOSFETs 400V G2 portfolio with the top-side-cooled (TSC) TOLT package as well as the TO-247-3 and TO-247-4 packages. In addition, three new products in the TOLL package have been introduced, with rated voltages of 440V (continuous) and 455V (transient)...

Wolfspeed Inc of Durham, NC, USA — which makes silicon carbide (SiC) materials and power semiconductor devices — has completed its financial restructuring process and emergence from Chapter 11 protection...

Epirus Inc of Torrance, CA, USA says that, in an invitation-only demonstration on 26 August at Camp Atterbury, Indiana (attended by representatives from throughout the US Department of Defense, other US Government agencies and nine allied countries), its Leonidas solid-state high-power microwave (HPM) system — which uses gallium nitride (GaN) transistors to minimize size, weight and deployment time — delivered weaponized electromagnetic interference to counter swarms of robotic, asymmetric threats...

The board of directors of nanoelectronics research center imec of Leuven, Belgium has appointed Patrick Vandenameele as CEO. Effective 1 April 2026, he will succeed Luc Van den hove, who (after 17 years as CEO) will then become chair of the board...

In booth C1130 at the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC 2025) in Copenhagen, Denmark (29 September–1 October), CORNERSTONE Photonics Innovation Centre (C-PIC), formed in 2014 and the UK’s dedicated Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC) for silicon photonics (SiPh) prototyping foundry (affiliated with the University of Southampton and the University of Glasgow, as well as the UK government’s Science and Technology Facilities Council), has unveiled its new Open Platform...

Mining exploration company Nimy Resources Ltd of Perth, Western Australia has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Nevada-based M2i Global Inc (Minerals Metals Initiatives) for the sale of gallium from Nimy’s Block 3 discovery in Western Australia...

On stand #C2421 at the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC 2025) at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark (29 September–1 October), Lumentum Holdings Inc of San Jose, CA, USA (which designs and makes optical and photonic products for optical networks and lasers for industrial and consumer markets) is giving several live technology and product demonstrations, reinforcing its focus on enabling AI-driven data centers and the world’s largest communications networks...

Private rare-earths exploration and process development company US Critical Materials Corp of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA has announced a strategic advisory alliance with GreenMet, a Washington DC-based firm specializing in critical minerals strategy and financing. The partnership marks a step in advancing domestic US rare-earth production, with gallium at the forefront...

On stand #C4134 at the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC 2025) in Copenhagen, Denmark (28 September–2 October), data infrastructure semiconductor solutions provider Marvell Technology Inc of Santa Clara, CA, USA is showcasing its interconnect portfolio for scale-up and scale-out data-center AI deployments...

Photonic integration firm PHOTON IP of Eindhoven, The Netherlands has announced its new brand identity as Photon Bridge, and appointed Paul Marchal as its new chief executive officer...

At the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC 2025) in Copenhagen, Denmark (29 September–1 October), the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF), together with 35 participating member companies, is demonstrating how multi-vendor collaboration is delivering real-world interoperability and enabling the scale, speed and efficiency that future networks demand...

In booth C4107 at the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC 2025) in Copenhagen, Denmark (29 September–1 October), TRUMPF Photonic Components GmbH of Ulm, Germany (part of the TRUMPF Group) — which makes vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and photodiodes for datacoms — is showcasing linear performance of its new PAM4 100Gbps, 850nm multimode VCSEL in collaboration with customer Optomind Inc of Suwon, South Korea, which provides optical interconnect solutions for data centers including artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) networks. Along with the VCSEL, TRUMPF also offers a 100G wideband (842–948nm) photodiode that can be used to further optimize the link...