Montreal, Can., March 24, 2003. LxSix Photonics has begun shipping products and providing services to the telecom industry. This marks the official market debut of LxSix as well as the full-scale manufacturing phase of the Montreal based company only one year after it was created.

LxSix has developed an advanced, highly automated laser processing technology, called Write-On that enables mass production and automation of state-of-the-art optical components. This new technological platform brings to market an innovative way to manufacture Bragg Gratings on various guided medium, from fiber, to optical devices, to ultimately planar waveguides and wafers. The technology is being leveraged to develop, with partners, new integrated optical components that will enable new functionality and innovative applications in the network.

"Within the components industry we have seen tremendous growth in production capacity. However, much of this capacity was derived from a ramp-up of R&D manufacturing techniques all too often resulting in manually intensive processes, poor yields, and high costs." explained Jacques Légaré, LxSix Photonics' President and CEO. "Our automated production technology is the only one of its kind to enable production of value-added components, very difficult to mass produce otherwise. Write-On is ultimately about the ability to automate the different processes and to provide flexibility to deliver a range of specifications to match performance and cost requirements."

LxSix Photonics announced an $8.4-million CAN round of financing last fall led by Solidarity Fund QFL, Innovatech Montreal and Investissement Desjardins. The investment will fuel ramp up of production facilities as well as ongoing development of Write-On production technology platform and solutions. LxSix Photonics will be present at this year's OFC Conference in Atlanta, GA from March 25-27, booth 3761.

For more information, visit www.lxsix.com .

Laser Focus World

Mon Mar 24 08:50:00 CST 2003