IQE plc : OneChip Photonics announces relations...

Cardiff, UK, 14 March 2013: IQE plc (AIM: IQE, "IQE" or the "Group"), the leading global supplier of advanced semiconductor wafer products and services to the semiconductor industry, is pleased to announce that the company's epitaxial growth services will be used by Canada based OneChip Photonics to produce InP based Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) for the data centre interconnect (DCI) and passive optical network (PON) markets.

OneChip announced in its press release yesterday that its unique design enables the company  to decouple epitaxial growth and wafer processing, while outsourcing both functions to independent, pure-play commercial foundries.  Under this fabless model, OneChip has been working with IQE for the production of its OneChip-designed 4-inch indium phosphide (InP)-based epitaxial wafers, leveraging the infrastructure and expertise IQE has gained over 25 years, supporting the advanced semiconductor industry with its pioneering outsourcing model.

Valery Tolstikhin, Founder and CTO of OneChip Photonics, said:

"The iron-doped, semi-insulating 4-inch InP substrates, and the metal organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) growth technique, required for OneChip's epi-wafers, are the same as those used by IQE for its high-volume epitaxy products, so we have strong economies of scale in working together. IQE is recognized as a leading independent, pure-play epi-wafer foundry, which not only provides world-class services, but also perfectly fits into our fabless PIC manufacturing model."

Drew Nelson, President & CEO of IQE, said:

"OneChip has developed some exciting new integrated photonics products for the high-volume, but cost-sensitive, optical communications markets. We are delighted to apply our unique high-volume manufacturing expertise in producing InP-based epi-wafers for OneChip's innovative PIC technology. OneChip's use of the fabless manufacturing approach further endorses IQE's outsourcing business model in the field of photonic devices, and we look forward to helping OneChip continue to scale its business as it extends its unique PIC technology to new markets."

CONTACTS:

IQE plc ([phone])
Press: Chris Meadows
Technical: Dr Wynne Jones

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Source: IQE plc via Thomson Reuters ONE

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