Epiwafer foundry and substrate maker IQE plc of Cardiff, Wales, UK has received its first single order valued at more than £1m for advanced laser wafers, to enable a new generation of fiber-optic communications devices.
The order is to be delivered during first-half 2013, with further significant follow-on orders expected, driven by strong demand in China for data-center applications and infrastructure build out. The wafers will be produced at IQE's Cardiff manufacturing facility using its 100mm InP platforms.
IQE says that optical interconnects are on the brink of rapid growth, driven by strongly increasing demand for 'big data' applications across data centers, fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), backbone interconnection of 4G/LTE base-stations and active optical cable (AOC) interconnects between computers and peripheral consumer electronic devices, replacing existing copper USB2 cables.
"This latest order for a new range of low-cost, high-performance optical fiber components marks a key milestone in the adoption of optical interconnects for a range of high-volume applications," says IQE's president & CEO Dr Drew Nelson.
