Microdisplay program: Kopin Corporation (Taunton, MA) was awarded the first phase of an anticipated three-phase, $4.2 million U.S. Army program to accelerate production capability and improve the performance of its CyberDisplay SXGA LVR microdisplay. These systems use multispectral imaging sensors and Kopin’s full-color displays to provide soldiers with daytime-like images in total darkness. “This award reinforces Kopin’s position as the leading technology developer and supplier of superior, high-performance microdisplays to the U.S. military,” said president and CEO John C. C. Fan. “Having succeeded in developing the CyberDisplay SXGA LVR, we are focused on continually perfecting the technology necessary to produce such a complex display. We expect that our work on this program also will benefit our commercial display infrastructure.”
Hong Kong subsidiary: OSRAM, a wholly owned subsidiary of Siemens, held an opening ceremony today for the new Asia regional headquarters of its subsidiary, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors (Santa Clara, CA), a specialist in semiconductor technology for lighting, sensor and visualization applications. Headed by Alfred Felder, CEO OSRAM Opto Semiconductors Asia Ltd., the new office will initially house staff to coordinate sales and marketing activities in Asia. OSRAM Opto Semiconductors selected Hong Kong for its regional headquarters to be nearer to customers and partners in Asia, especially Greater China, Korea, and Japan. Regional OSRAM activities for other business units have been located in Hong Kong since 2006.
Goniospectrophotometer patent: Photon Inc. (San Jose, CA) was awarded U.S. Patent No. 7,321,423 titled “Real-Time Goniospectrophotometer.” Goniospectrophotometers are used for characterizing the spectra of light as a function of angle. The principle applications are for measuring light sources such as white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and light reflected from materials with gonio-apparent or pearlescent paint or ink. For example, this new technique can speed up the color matching of pearlescent automotive paint finishes by many orders of magnitude over conventional methods, from perhaps 30 minutes to 30 milliseconds, enabling measurements that previously have been impractical. Photon is actively seeking partners in the LED or color measurement arena to help develop or license this technology.
PMD collaboration: Fujitsu Network Communications (Richardson, TX), a supplier of wireline/wireless networking solutions, is collaborating with Indiana University (IU; Bloomington, IN) on breakthrough research about the effects that polarization mode dispersion (PMD) can have on specific wavelengths traveling at 40 Gbps or more. This collaboration experience, which was facilitated by their active involvement with Internet2, will be the model for future research networking experiments between Fujitsu and other research & education institutions. Brad Wheeler, VP for information technology and CIO at IU said, “Together, using advanced technology from Fujitsu, we were able to discover several optical characteristics that will have a profound implication on high-speed networking across the globe.”
Women-only PV workshop: Solar Energy International (SEI), a nonprofit leader in renewable energy and sustainable building technologies since 1991, announced its 11th annual Women’s Photovoltaic (PV/ Solar Electricity) Workshop. From women looking to improve their own homes to those interested in careers in the solar electricity field, SEI offers programs taught by women, for women. SEI’s women-only workshops are intended to provide women with a supportive learning atmosphere.The workshop, to be held June 16–27 in Paonia, CO, is also helpful and rewarding for women who already have hands-on experience, as they network with other women who share an interest in renewable energy. For more information, visit www.solarenergy.org.
OLED award and growth: Novaled (Dresden, Germany), a major know-how and service provider for highly efficient longlifetime organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), is a winner of the Red Herring 100 Europe 2008, an award given to the top 100 private technology companies each year. Novaled supports Europe’s increasing role as a major center of innovation in the global technology sector. In 2007, revenue showed an impressive growth rate of 67% versus the previous year, mainly achieved through material sales and contracted research. “2007 results showed remarkable growth compared to the global OLED-players,” said Harry Boehme, CFO of Novaled. “The Red Herring Award demonstrates that Novaled is rightly counted among the leading technology companies.”
Supplier award: Corning Incorporated (Corning, NY) announced that Corning Cable Systems LLC, part of its Telecommunications segment, was selected as a recipient of Verizon’s 2007 Supplier Excellence Award in the “Supplier Diversity-Tier 1” category. The Verizon Supplier Excellence Awards Program acknowledges companies that support Verizon’s commitment to continuous improvement of quality and service to its customers through a passion for excellence. Criteria for winning includes quality of service, year-over-year growth, a commitment to supplier diversity, meeting and exceeding performance metrics, providing cost management solutions, and excellent customer service.
Queen’s award: Thermoteknix Systems (Cambridge, England) won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise. The award, under the Innovation category, acknowledges the success Thermoteknix has achieved through innovation with the range of MIRICLE thermal imaging cameras over the last three years. Thermoteknix previously won The Queen’s Award for Export Achievement in 1998, and is one of only a very few companies to have ever won Queen’s Awards in two different categories. Richard Salisbury, founder and managing director of Thermoteknix Systems says, “We are transforming thermal imaging and infrared systems from being large, highpower- consuming, reliability challenged instruments into highly compact, solid-state, high-performance cameras that embody lowcost manufacture…”
VCSEL funding: BeamExpress SA (Lausanne, Switzerland), a company specializing in long-wavelength vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) technology secured a first round investment of $1.3 million with I-Source (France). The proceeds will be used to expand the team and move from prototype to series production. Founders Jean-Claude Charlier and Eli Kapon launched BeamExpress SA as a Spin-off of BeamExpress Inc. when it got sold to NeoPhotonics in 2006. The Intellectual Property of the VCSEL technology was transferred at that time to the new entity headquartered in Lausanne.
HBLED technology acquisition: Oxford Instruments (Oxfordshire, England), which supplies plasma technology (etch and deposition tools) to high-brightness LED (HBLED) manufacturers, acquired Technologies and Devices International (TDI), a provider of hydride vapour phase epitaxy (HVPE) technology and processes. TDI’s technology gives HBLED manufacturers the benefits of lower manufacturing costs and improved output that HVPE delivers over conventional metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) techniques. TDI will remain at its present U.S. facility in Silver Spring, MD to assure continuity of supply to existing customers of HVPE grown III-nitride materials. Tatiana Dmitriev, president, and Alexander Usikov, head of R&D will continue to lead the team.
Laser attack munition kits: The Boeing Company delivered the first Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM) kits to the U.S. Air Force. The Precision Laser Guidance Set (PLGS) kits are being produced to satisfy the Air Force and Navy’s urgent need for engagement of fast-moving land targets. The initial $28 million LJDAM contract, awarded in May 2007, will add 600 laser seekers to the services’ existing inventory of 500-pound bombs. The First Article Acceptance Testing (FAAT) of production units was completed in March. The Air Force performed the FAAT guided flight tests at the China Lake, CA test range with drops from F-15E and F-16 aircraft. The tests demonstrated LJDAM’s ability to engage and destroy targets moving at up to 70 miles per hour.
People in the news: Gregory J. Quarles, director of research at VLOC (New Port Richey, FL), a manufacturer of precision optics and crystal components, was elected an SPIE (Bellingham, WA) Fellow for specific achievements in solid-state laser science and engineering. More than 500 SPIE members have become Fellows since the Society’s inception in 1955.
Rick Plympton, CEO of precision-optics maker Optimax Systems (Ontario, NY), will be recognized as a Distinguished Alumni of Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) and recently became a member of the University of Arizona’s College of Optical Sciences Development Board.