Semiconductor today

Photonic simulation CAD software developer Photon Design Ltd of Oxford, UK has partnered with Cardiff University to deliver a two-day laser design course as part of its physics curriculum...

Specialty semiconductor and performance materials producer 5N Plus Inc (5N+) of Montréal, Québec, Canada has appointed Alban Fournier as chief financial officer (CFO), effective 27 April...

BluGlass Ltd of Silverwater, Australia — which develops and manufactures gallium nitride (GaN) visible laser diodes based on its proprietary low-temperature, low-hydrogen remote-plasma chemical vapor deposition (RPCVD) technology — has received commitments from investors to raise about AUS$8m (before costs) at an issue price of AUS$0.24 per share. The upsized placement includes one free attaching option for every share subscribed for under the placement, exercisable at AUS$0.38 and expiring on 31 May 2028...

Marktech Optoelectronics Inc of Latham, NY, USA has made available for order several new 280nm UVC LEDs in single-chip, two-chip and four-chip configurations, designed to accelerate the development and prototyping of UVGI water purifiers, air disinfection systems, and surface sanitizers...

In collaboration with the Kyoto University Institute for Advanced Study, Tokyo-based Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corp (AKM, a member of the Asahi Kasei Group’s Material sector) has achieved laser oscillation in a 2μm-band infrared photonic crystal surface-emitting laser (PCSEL). This should enable the miniaturization of next-generation sensing systems while maintaining PCSEL’s high directionality and narrow spectral bandwidth, the firm adds...

For its fiscal third-quarter 2026 (ended 27 February), Aehr Test Systems of Fremont, CA, USA — which provides solutions for testing, burning-in and stabilizing semiconductor devices in wafer-level, singulated die, and packaged-part form — has reported revenue of $10.3m, down on $18.3m a year ago but up on $9.9m last quarter...

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) and the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) have announced a ‘Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator’ Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) of up to $69m for technologies that advance the domestic separation, processing, and refining of critical materials. Projects selected will address the greatest technical obstacles to a more secure, domestic critical materials supply chain...

For full-year 2025, molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system maker Riber S.A. of Bezons, France has reported revenue of €40.3m, down 2.1% on 2024’s €41.2m...

ULTRARAM compound semiconductor memory technology developer QuInAs Technology Ltd of London, UK (which was spun off from Lancaster University in early 2023) has reported work that links device-level physics — including resonant tunnelling and floating-gate dynamics — directly to AI system performance through compact modelling and hardware-aware benchmarking, addressing a key limitation in how emerging memory technologies are typically evaluated. Published in Journal of Applied Physics, the paper ‘Artificial synapse based on ULTRARAM memory device for neuromorphic applications’ demonstrates how ULTRARAM can be modelled and evaluated as a synaptic memory element for next-generation AI hardware...

HRL Laboratories LLC of Malibu, CA, USA (a corporate R&D lab co-owned by The Boeing Company and General Motors) says that its T3L 40nm gallium nitride (GaN) on silicon carbide (SiC) technology achieved Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) 6 through the US Office of the Under Secretary of War. The firm considers the milestone to represent a significant step in the maturation of its RF GaN manufacturing technology for defense and high-performance commercial applications...

Vector Photonics Ltd of the West of Scotland Science Park (which was spun off from the University of Glasgow in 2020, based on research led by professor Richard Hogg) has announced the first successful public demonstration of photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers (PCSEL) technology for optical communication outside of a lab. On 31 March, the firm’s PCSELs were used to transmit data across the River Clyde from the Glasgow Science Centre to the Clydeside Distillery, using a system designed and built by Fraunhofer UK...

The South Wales-based compound semiconductor cluster CSconnected is encouraging organizations to apply for the fourth and final funding round of its £1m supply chain development program, delivered in partnership with Cardiff Capital Region (CCR), which now closes at 4pm on 23 April (extended from 17 April)...

Supra Elemental Recovery Inc has announced a strategic investment from global mining and materials company Rio Tinto and Founders Factory through their mining technology accelerator. Structured as a combination of cash and in-kind services, the investment will enable Supra to build and commercialize its modular critical mineral recovery technology with insight and support from Rio Tinto...

Metallium Ltd of Subiaco, Western Australia, says that its subsidiary Flash Metals Texas Inc of Houston, TX, USA has completed Phase I of its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract with the US Department of War (DoW) through the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)...

BluGlass Ltd of Silverwater, Australia — which develops and manufactures gallium nitride (GaN) visible laser diodes based on its proprietary low-temperature, low-hydrogen remote-plasma chemical vapor deposition (RPCVD) technology for quantum, defence and biotech markets — has entered a AUS$1.3m strategic collaboration with a “Fortune 500 global mass-capacity data storage leader”...

ACM Research Inc of Fremont, CA, USA — which develops and manufactures processing equipment for semiconductor device and wafer- and panel-level packaging (WLP) applications — has announced a new branding and organization of its product portfolio into a unified, process-based structure, referred to as the ACM Planetary Family...

IVWorks Co Ltd of Daejeon, South Korea – which was founded in 2011 and manufactures 100–200mm gallium nitride (GaN) epitaxial wafers for RF & power electronics applications – is accelerating its expansion into the GaN semiconductor market through its proprietary reGaN technology while continuing to expand its core epiwafer business across multiple advanced device platforms. Leveraging its epitaxy expertise, the firm is positioning itself as a solution provider for next-generation RF and power semiconductor applications, including aluminium nitride (AlN) high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) on silicon carbide (SiC), GaN HEMT on silicon, and vertical GaN epiwafers...

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 a new generation of 100V integrated GaN power-stage ICs (EPC23108, EPC23109, EPC23110 and EPC23111) targeting high-performance motion and power systems such as humanoid robots, drones, and other compact battery-powered platforms. The devices are designed to simplify implementation and improve operational robustness in real-world environments while preserving the efficiency and power density advantages typical of integrated GaN technology...

Intelligent power and sensing technology firm onsemi of Scottsdale, AZ, USA says that its hybrid power integrated modules (PIMs) will be featured in Sineng Electric’s next-generation 430kW liquid-cooled string energy storage systems (ESS) and 320kW utility-scale solar inverter. The design win builds upon the long-standing collaboration between onsemi and Sineng to deliver high-performance, future-ready solutions in the growing renewable energy and AI infrastructure markets...

EPC Space LLC of Andover, MA, USA (which provides high-reliability radiation-hardened enhancement-mode gallium nitride-on-silicon discrete transistors, ICs and modular devices for power management in space and other harsh environments) has announced two new additions to its family of demonstration and evaluation boards supporting applications including half-bridge connected point-of-load (POL) converter power stages, single- and multi-phase motor drivers, and Class-D single- and full-bridge stages...