IQE plc : European researchers demonstrate reli...

Cardiff, UK - 10 November 2011: Researchers working on the European Commission
funded Vertically Integrated Systems for Information Transfer (VISIT) programme,
for which IQE produces advanced semiconductor wafers, have demonstrated high
reliability Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) devices operating at
world record data rates of up to 40 Gbit/s, which is four times faster than the
current single channel (serial) data rate used in commercial systems.

VISIT is an EU funded programme with the remit to focus on strategic, high-value
photonic components and subsystems for scalable economic broadband access and
local area networks. The central objective of the VISIT programme, which start
in October 2008, is the research, development, test and exploitation of system-
enabling optical transmitters having a completely novel design and/or largely
improved functionality as compared to current technology.

The directly modulated VCSEL devices fabricated on material grown by IQE at its
Cardiff facility operate at 850nm, which is the current standard wavelength for
optical fibre applications used in short-reach data communication and storage
area networks.

The new technology increases data throughput by up to 400 times the speed of
current copper Ethernet systems and four times that of the latest optical
technologies. The VISIT researchers demonstrated VCSEL devices operating at data
rates of up to 30 Gbit/s at 85C, and up to 40 Gbit/s at 25C with bit error
ratios of less than 10E-12, which for many data communication applications is
considered "error-free."

The VCSEL devices also demonstrated superb temperature stability in the linear
region of the light power versus current characteristic with a less than 25 µW/C
change in emission power for operation below 6 mA at temperatures between 20 to
100C. The peak output power exceeded 8 mW for multi-mode operation and up to 4
mW for single mode operation, all with differential slope efficiencies exceeding
70% at up to 40C.

Multi-mode VCSEL device operation was demonstrated at current densities well
below 10 kA/cm2 which is a critical factor in determining device reliability.
This is expected to greatly improve with the further development of single-mode
VCSELs.

The VISIT team has also produced the first 40 Gbit/s packaged VCSELs, complete
with an OM3 fibre pigtail and a high frequency electrical V-connector for ease
of system-level optical link testing and development.

The prototype VCSEL devices fabricated using new device processing techniques
and device geometries on wafers produced by IQE's optoelectronic facility in
Cardiff, UK, operated reliably at 40 Gbit/s in initial tests, making them
suitable for optical interconnectors as well as for optical fibre networks for
high data rate applications such as data centres.

The next development stage under the VISIT programme will focus on final
directly modulated VCSEL benchmarking and design and processing refinement
including device designs for reliability and manufacturability. The VISIT team
will also work on further improvements in the packaging and testing of optical
transmitter subassemblies.

The VISIT Project is funded by the European Commission Framework 7 Programme
with Project Officer Dr. Michael Hohenbichler. The project is led by Prof. Dr.
Dieter Bimberg of the Technical University of Berlin (Germany), and includes
also the following project partners: IQE (UK), Intel Performance Learning
Solutions Ltd. (Ireland), VI Systems GmbH (Germany), Chalmers University of
Technology (Sweden), The University of Cambridge (UK), University College Cork
via the Tyndall National Institute (Ireland), , Riber S.A. (France),and the A.F.
Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia).





CONTACTS:

Technical/Sales: IQE Europe  ([phone])
Andrew Joel
Stephen Phelps

Press: IQE plc ([phone])
Chris Meadows



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Note to Editors

IQE is the leading global supplier of advanced semiconductor wafers with
products that cover a diverse range of applications, supported by an innovative
outsourced foundry services portfolio that allows the Group to provide a 'one
stop shop' for the wafer needs of the world's leading semiconductor
manufacturers.

IQE uses advanced crystal growth technology (epitaxy) to manufacture and supply
bespoke semiconductor wafers ('epi-wafers') to the major chip manufacturing
companies, who then use these wafers to make the chips which form the key
components of virtually all high technology systems. IQE is unique in being able
to supply wafers using all of the leading crystal growth technology platforms.

IQE's products are found in many leading-edge consumer, communication, computing
and industrial applications, including a complete range of wafer products for
the wireless industry, such as mobile handsets and wireless infrastructure, Wi-
Fi, WiMAX, base stations, GPS, and satellite communications; optical
communications, optical storage (CD, DVD), laser optical mouse, laser printers &
photocopiers, thermal imagers, leading-edge medical products, barcode, ultra
high brightness LEDs, a variety of advanced silicon based systems and high
efficiency concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) solar cells.

The manufacturers of these chips are increasingly seeking to outsource wafer
production to specialist foundries such as IQE in order to reduce overall wafer
costs and accelerate time to market.

IQE also provides bespoke R&D services to deliver customised materials for
specific applications and offers specialist technical staff to manufacture to
specification either at its own facilities or on the customer's own sites. The
Group is also able to leverage its global purchasing volumes to reduce the cost
of raw materials. In this way IQE's outsourced services, provide compelling
benefits in terms of flexibility and predictability of cost, thereby
significantly reducing operating risk.

IQE comprises eight  operating facilities located in Cardiff (two), Milton
Keynes and Bath in the UK; in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Somerset, New Jersey and
Spokane, Washington in the USA; and Singapore. The Group also has 11 sales
offices located in major economic centres worldwide.







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Source: IQE plc via Thomson Reuters ONE

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