Emcore acquires Phasebridge
Anticipating that this transaction will increase its projected fiscal 2006 revenues by approximately $2 million, Emcore (Somerset, NJ), a provider of compound-semiconductor-based components and subsystems for the broadband, fiberoptic, satellite, and wireless communications markets, acquired privately held Phasebridge (Pasadena, CA). The Phasebridge operations will be integrated over the next several weeks into the Ortel division of Emcore, which is located nearby in Alhambra, CA.
Phasebridge provides miniaturized multichip system-in-package optical modules and subsystem solutions for a wide variety of markets, including fiberoptic gyroscopes for weapons and aerospace guidance, radio frequency over fiber links for device remoting and optical networks, and emerging technologies such as terahertz spectroscopy.
Infinera tops long-haul shipments
According to a report published by market analysts the Dell’Oro Group, Infinera (Sunnyvale, CA) captured the number-one position in high-speed long-haul optical networks in the third quarter 2005. According to Dell’Oro, Infinera shipped 1449 wavelengths of 10-Gigabit long-haul systems to customers in the third quarter, for a 20% share of the total worldwide market of 7300 wavelengths. Nortel ranked second in the market with a share of 17%. Alcatel and Siemens tied for third, each with 9%.
Infineon disperses fiberoptic assets
Plans have been announced to finalize the disposition of the remaining fiberoptics assets of Infineon Technologies (Munich, Germany)-the manufacturing facility in Trutnov (Czech Republic) and the parallel optical link business. Siemens VDO (Frankfurt/Main, Germany) has signed a definitive agreement to take over Infineon’s plant in Trutnov from July 1, 2006, onward. And, in August 2005 Infineon signed a definitive agreement with EZConn (Taiwan) concerning the sale of the bidirectional components business for FTTX applications.
In January 2005, Infineon sold the fiberoptics transceiver business to Finisar (Sunnyvale, CA). Soon thereafter, the plastic optical fiber business was reorganized to become part of Infineon’s Automotive, Industrial and Multi-Market (AIM) Business Group.
Sun and Luxtera partner on CMOS DWDM
Luxtera (Carlsbad, CA), a fabless semiconductor company concentrating on silicon photonics, announced that it has been chosen by Sun Microsystems as a technology partner to develop high-bandwidth, low-latency dense wavelength-division-multiplexed (DWDM) optical interconnects to form the building blocks for future terabit links in Hero, Sun’s HPCS program. HPCS is the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) High Productivity Computing Systems program.
Sun and Luxtera demonstrated a 40‑Gbit/s optical link that exploits nanophotonic DWDM transceivers built entirely in a standard silicon CMOS production process using Luxtera’s CMOS Photonics technology.
E.U. merges mobile and optical communications
A three-year project that ended in August has yielded significant advances in the merging of mobile and optical communications. The pan-European Network of Excellence on broadband Fiber Radio Techniques and its Integration Technologies (NEFERTITI) network has enhanced European collaboration and raised awareness of broadband microwave photonic techniques in those microwave industries that have yet to appreciate the potential impact of this relatively new technology.
“Photonics for wireless communication is a technology area with increasing importance,” said Béatrice Cabon from the Institute of Microelectronics, Electromagnetism and Photonics (IMEP/INPG) and project coordinator of the IST-funded NEFERTITI network. “Thirty percent of the cellular in-building market is using radio-over-fiber today, and it is expected to increase to 60% before 2010.” The NEFERTITI network will continue through the ISIS network, which aims to strengthen European scientific and technological excellence and promote the merging of wireless and photonic technologies.
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Also in the news . . .
BFi OPTiLAS International (Evry, France) and Bristol Instruments (Victor, NY) have signed a pan-European agreement whereby BFi OPTiLAS will become the exclusive distributor of Bristol Instruments’ range of laser-wavelength meters in Europe. . . . Discovery Semiconductors (Ewing, NJ) has delivered low-distortion, fiber-coupled 15-GHz receivers for analog fiberoptic antenna links for the Allen Telescope Array (ATA), a joint effort by the SETI Institute and the Radio Astronomy Laboratory at the University of California-Berkeley to construct a radio interferometer dedicated to astronomical observations and simultaneous searches for extra-terrestrial signals. . . . Finisar (Sunnyvale, CA) has acquired all of the optical-transponder assets of Big Bear Networks-including its 10 Gigabit Ethernet Xenpak and 40-Gbit/s transponder products-for $1.9 million in cash.