Lasers & Sources

IPG Photonics acquires UV fiber laser maker Mobius Photonics

March 13, 2013

Oxford, MA--IPG Photonics has acquired privately held Mobius Photonics to speed its entry into the UV laser market. Mobius makes high-power pulsed UV fiber lasers for micromachining, such as dicing and scribing of wafers, and via drilling and solar hybrid panel processing.

Conard Holton

Oxford, MA--IPG Photonics (NASDAQ: IPGP) has acquired privately held Mobius Photonics (Mountain View, CA) to speed its entry into the UV laser market. Mobius makes high-power pulsed UV fiber lasers for micromachining, such as dicing and scribing of wafers, and Via drilling and solar hybrid panel processing.

"The acquisition of Mobius Photonics will augment our current development efforts in UV fiber lasers to quickly penetrate the UV laser market, which we believe could be a significant sales driver for IPG in the coming years. Mobius has deep expertise in UV lasers, a strong patent portfolio, and proprietary techniques relating to UV lasers," said Valentin Gapontsev, IPG Photonics' CEO. "With this acquisition, we believe that we can effectively build a presence in the fine processing market."

As part of the acquisition, IPG acquires an exclusive license of US Patent No. 5,745,284, an early and broad patent claiming pulsed fiber lasers with frequency conversion into UV light. The employees from Mobius will become part of the IPG Silicon Valley Technology Center. Mobius had revenue from operations of approximately $1.4 million for 2012.

About the Author

Conard Holton | Editor at Large

Conard Holton has 25 years of science and technology editing and writing experience. He was formerly a staff member and consultant for government agencies such as the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and engineering companies such as Bechtel. He joined Laser Focus World in 1997 as senior editor, becoming editor in chief of WDM Solutions, which he founded in 1999. In 2003 he joined Vision Systems Design as editor in chief, while continuing as contributing editor at Laser Focus World. Conard became editor in chief of Laser Focus World in August 2011, a role in which he served through August 2018. He then served as Editor at Large for Laser Focus World and Co-Chair of the Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar from August 2018 through January 2022. He received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, with additional studies at the Colorado School of Mines and Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.