Semiconductor today

TRUMPF Photonic Components GmbH of Ulm, Germany (part of the TRUMPF Group) — which makes vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and photodiodes for consumer electronics, datacom, industrial sensing and heating markets — and iThera Medical GmbH of Munich, Germany — a spin-off of the Helmholtz Center Munich that provides optoacoustic imaging (OAI) diagnostics for preclinical and clinical research — are introducing a solution for optoacoustic imaging for clinical applications. The VCSEL-based subsystem can replace existing photonic systems for routine clinical use, starting with soft-tissue perfusion and oxygenation measurements, applicable to a wide range of diseases...

Ortel LLC of Alhambra, CA, USA (which was acquired by Photonics Foundries in 2023, and offers products for wireless, sensing, satcoms and broadband applications) has transferred wafer fabrication for its flagship C-band, high-power, continuous wave laser module platform to pure-play III–V semiconductor wafer foundry Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (CPFC), which is located at the National Research Council of Canada. Transfer assures uninterrupted wafer supply and a smooth transition of the laser to expanding markets including LiDAR, fiber-optic sensing, coherent and externally modulated fiber-optic communications, and test & measurement...

Professor Richard Hogg, chief technical officer at III–V Epi Ltd of Glasgow, Scotland, UK — which provides a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) service for custom compound semiconductor wafer design, manufacturing, test and characterization —advocates using gallium arsenide (GaAs) epitaxial regrowth for many emerging semiconductor laser applications. Gallium arsenide is a less proven material system than indium phosphide (InP), which is commonly used in high-volume 5G, datacom, telecom and co-packaged optics applications...

In booth 3553 at SPIE Photonics West 2025 in San Francisco, CA, USA (25–30 January), photonic simulation CAD software developer Photon Design Ltd of Oxford, UK is previewing results from its upcoming quantum dot module being added to its established laser simulator HAROLD. The expansion to HAROLD will allow simulation of gain and absorption spectra from epitaxy structures with multiple quantum dot layers using an eight-band k.p model and a full 3D stress-strain model. The module was developed and validated in collaboration with Cardiff University, which has expertise in compound semiconductor photonics...

Exaktera group firm ProPhotonix Ltd of Salem, NH, USA, a designer and manufacturer of LED lights and laser diode modules for OEMs and medical equipment companies (as well as a distributor of laser diodes for Ushio, Osram, QSI, Panasonic and Sony), has released its new UVC-Pro Area Light, which is on display in booth 4040 at Photonics West 2025 in San Francisco, CA, USA (25–30 January). Offering up to 35mW/cm2 of uniform light at 265nm, the solution is suitable for machine vision, fluorescence detection, and disinfection...

MACOM Technology Solutions Inc of Lowell, MA, USA (which designs and makes RF, microwave, analog and mixed-signal and optical semiconductor technologies for the commercial and defense sectors) has signed a preliminary memorandum of terms with the US federal government for funding under the CHIPS for America program....

Quintessent Inc of Santa Barbara, CA, USA — which specializes in heterogeneous integration of quantum dot lasers and silicon photonic integrated circuits (PICs) — and epiwafer and substrate maker IQE plc of Cardiff, Wales, UK have partnered to establish what is said to be the world’s first large-scale quantum dot laser and semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) epitaxial wafer supply chain. Supported by purchase order commitments from Quintessent, the collaboration will see IQE deliver production quantities of epitaxial wafers to Quintessent throughout 2025...

NUBURU Inc of Centennial, CO, USA — which was founded in 2015 and develops and manufactures high-power industrial blue lasers — has been notified by NYSE American Market that it has resolved the deficiencies identified by it on 18 November 2024 (relating to NUBURU having an insufficient number of independent directors), and NUBURU is now compliant with NYSE American Market’s continued listing standards...

StratEdge Corp of Santee, near San Diego, CA, USA (which designs and manufactures packages and provides chip assembly & test services for microwave, millimeter-wave and high-speed digital devices) has appointed Vitale Engineering as its exclusive manufacturer’s representative for Upstate New York. Vitale Engineering will expand access to StratEdge’s packaging technologies across industries such as aerospace, telecoms and defense...

Wolfspeed Inc of Durham, NC, USA — which makes silicon carbide (SiC) materials and power semiconductor devices — has introduced its new Gen 4 technology platform, which is said to enable design rooted in durability and efficiency, while reducing system cost and development time. Engineered to simplify switching behaviors and design challenges commonly experienced in high-power designs, Gen 4 charts a long-term roadmap across Wolfspeed’s product categories, including power modules, discrete components, and bare die products. These products are currently available in the 750V, 1200V and 2300V classes...

The UK’s North East advanced material electronics industry is projected to contribute nearly £900m to the UK economy over the next five years, according to a new report by Urban Foresight on behalf of Business Durham and the Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult. The report identifies ‘significant growth potential’ in the sector, which is already providing many jobs and contributing to the UK economy...

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) module maker First Solar Inc of Tempe, AZ, USA has established the Endowed Professorship in Critical Energy Materials in the materials science and engineering department at Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T). The decision reflects the strategic alignment between the two organizations, which have collaborated on critical minerals, particularly tellurium, for the past decade...

At Photonics West 2025 in Santa Clara, CA, USA (25–30 January), chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-based synthetic diamond materials firm Element Six of Oxford, UK (E6, part of the De Beers Group) is launching an innovative Cu-diamond product, a copper-plated diamond composite material that has high thermal and electrical conductivity. Designed to address the increasingly critical thermal management challenges in advanced semiconductor devices, the cost-effective solution is said to enable greater performance and reliability for applications such as AI, high-performance computing (HPC), and gallium arsenide (GaN) RF devices...

SemiQ Inc of Lake Forest, CA, USA — which designs, develops and manufactures silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors and 150mm SiC epitaxial wafers for high-voltage applications — has announced a family of 1700V SiC MOSFETs designed to meet the needs of medium-voltage high-power conversion applications, such as photovoltaic and wind inverters, energy storage, electric vehicle (EV) and road-side charging, uninterruptable power supplies, and induction heating/welding...

Efficient Power Conversion Corp (EPC) of El Segundo, CA, USA — which makes enhancement-mode gallium nitride on silicon (eGaN) power field-effect transistors (FETs) and integrated circuits for power management applications — has launched the EPC91104, a high-performance 3-phase brushless DC (BLDC) motor drive inverter reference design. The design is said to be suitable for powering compact, precision motors in humanoid robots, such as those used for wrist, finger and toe movements...

Lynred of Grenoble, France — which designs and makes infrared (IR) sensors for aerospace, defense and commercial applications — has launched Eyesential SW, its latest VGA-format shortwave infrared (SWIR) sensor for machine vision. Designed to offer the ideal cost-performance ratio for visible-like imaging to address specific performance needs in machine vision, Eyesential SW is said to have the performance and features sought by industry but at half the price of comparable IR sensors on the market. It also includes specific functions for spectroscopy applications, such as spectral line selection/deselection...

Vertically integrated photonics product maker Thorlabs Inc of Newton, NJ, USA has acquired Praevium Research Inc of Goleta, CA, USA, which was founded by Dr Vijay Jayaraman in 2001 and develops high-speed tunable vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). The two firms have been working together since 2008, when Praevium became a member of Thorlabs’ Strategic Partner Program...

Under the CHIPS Incentives Program’s Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities, the US Department of Commerce has finalized three separate awards of direct funding: up to $32m for Corning, up to $18m for Edwards Vacuum, and up to $93m for Infinera...

InnoScience (Suzhou) Technology Holding Co Ltd and its subsidiary InnoScience (Suzhou) Semiconductor Co Ltd have filed complaints regarding patent number 202311774650.7s and 202211387983.X with the Intermediate People’s Court of Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, against Infineon Technologies (China) Co Ltd, its subsidiary Infineon Technologies (Wuxi) Co Ltd, and Suzhou Chipswork Electronics Technologies Co Ltd...

For its fiscal second-quarter 2025 (ended 29 November 2024), semiconductor production test and reliability qualification equipment supplier Aehr Test Systems of Fremont, CA, USA has reported revenue of $13.5m, up slightly from $13.1m last quarter but down on $21.4m a year ago. While Services revenue has rebounded from $0.97m last quarter to $1.47m, Product revenue has fallen further, from $19.8m a year ago and $12.2m last quarter to $12m...