Positive Q1: Oclaro, the entity formed from the 2009 merger of Bookham and Avanex (see www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/360432), reported positive adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) in its first post-merger quarter ended June 27, 2009. Oclaro is a provider of optical components, modules and subsystems to the communications industry, and also supplies laser diodes to the scientific and industrial community. “Our integration is going smoothly, our synergies are on track and we believe our customers are pleased with the deal. These results are a visual indicator of the progress taking place behind the scenes and with customers,” said Alain Couder, CEO of Oclaro. “Times continue to be challenging, and we expect only modest revenue growth in the remainder of calendar 2009.”
Global warming & lasers: Fibertek (Herndon, VA) was awarded the Laser System Engineering Support (LSES) contract from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center--a five-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity, $35 million contract. Fibertek, serving as the prime contractor, is teamed with Sigma Space Corporation (Lanham, MD) for laser design, fabrication, and flight-qualification testing services for the ICESat II mission Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) Instrument. ICESAT II will measures changes in global ice sheet properties over time resulting from global climate change and help scientists assess the impact of global warming on the planet.
LED manufacturing system order: Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology (OIPT; Bristol, England), provider of etch, deposition, and growth systems, announced an order from Bridgelux (Sunnyvale, CA) for a System800 Plus Batch PECVD and a System133 ICP 380 Batch Etch tool. Bridgelux is a manufacturer of light-emitting diode (LED)-based solid-state lighting solutions. “We have been using OIPT etch and deposition tools for some time, and have successfully established our fabrication processes using these systems,” said Frank Hu, Bridgelux director of Fab Operations. “At OIPT we are constantly working to progress and to be involved in the latest technologies and applications,” said Stuart Mitchell, VP sales, OIPT USA.
Medical laser order: Lumics GmbH (Berlin, Germany) received a > 550 piece order for its medical laser module from a customer in southern Europe to be delivered within 12 months. The laser (10 W @ 980 nm) is built in a configuration with red pilot beam, thermistor, fiber sensor, and monitor diode required for medical end users. The medical laser module will fit into a dental treatment system that is composed of individually tested single-emitter laser diodes with low-current operation. The whole system is passively cooled and optimized for a small footprint. In addition, Lumics will start to sample first units of a completely new > 30 W system for medical and materials-processing applications.
Improved UAV imaging: Sensors Unlimited (Princeton, NJ), part of Goodrich Corporation, and Cloud Cap Technology, acquired by Goodrich in May 2009, are teaming up to provide specialized imaging solutions for military, security and surveillance markets. The combined companies, both part of Goodrich’s ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) Systems group, are developing new micro-gimbal imaging systems that are based on Sensors’ expertise in shortwave infrared (SWIR) imaging and Cloud Cap Technology’s leadership in autonomous avionics solutions for small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and manned safety and surveillance tasks.
Brazil semiconductor investment: CEITEC S.A., a Brazilian company focused on the development and production of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), announced the opening of Latin America’s first IC design center. The company will add 60 engineers who will design RFID, digital media, and wireless communication chips for its fabrication facility now ramping up for production. The total investment by the Brazilian government is almost $ 210 million. “When a new facility is opened here, it is often a technology transfer but CEITEC S.A. is quite different,” said Dilma Rousseff, chief minister of Brazil’s Casa Civil. “The company is creating a center of excellence that is capable of generating its own technology.”
Flow cytometer funding: Accuri Cytometers (Ann Arbor, MI) announced the completion of a $4 million Series D financing to provide additional working and growth capital to support market acceptance of its C6 Flow Cytometer System, a product designed to bring flow cytometry analysis to the laboratory of every life-science researcher, and the recently introduced Accuri CSampler, an optional accessory that adds automation to the C6 system. “With our first two products experiencing rapid market acceptance and our European operations newly underway, we have secured additional capital to build out our manufacturing and customer support capabilities in Michigan and to continue to expand our commercial presence globally,” said Jennifer Baird, CEO of Accuri.
Laser optics bankruptcy: According to a story in the July 13 issue of the Daily Camera (www.dailycamera.com), Rocky Mountain Instrument Co., a Lafayette, CO business that manufactures laser optics, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The filing with U.S. Bankruptcy Court’s Colorado district shows that the company has between $1 million and $10 million in debt and has up to 49 creditors. Rocky Mountain Instrument Co. is located at 106 Laser Drive in Lafayette. It employs about 150 people. A spokesman for the company was not immediately available.
People in the news: Optical communications networking company Infinera (Sunnyvale, CA) announced that chairman and CEO Jagdeep Singh plans to step down on January 1, 2010 and become executive chairman and that COO Tom Fallon will succeed Singh as president and CEO. “After nine very satisfying years at the helm of Infinera, it is time to pass the baton of leadership for the day to day operations of the company,” said Singh. “As an experienced operations executive, Tom has an exceptional background for the CEO role,” said Singh. “He spent many years in management at Cisco, including his role as VP and GM of Cisco’s optical business unit ... [and] is one of the veterans of the Infinera management team, having joined us early in our development.”
IQE (www.iqep.com), supplier of epitaxial wafer growth services for the optoelectronic, solar, and solid-state (LED) lighting industries, appointed Brian VanOrsdel as director of North American Sales and Strategic Accounts for its optoelectronic product portfolio. Brian has more than 20 years of sales management experience at such companies as Epitaxx and JDSU, and most recently at Bookham as strategic accounts manager.
PhotoMedex (Montgomeryville, PA), provider of light-based dermatology products and techniques, announced that Jeffrey O’Donnell, president and CEO, resigned from the Company and its board to pursue other business interests. PhotoMedex appointed Dennis McGrath as new president and CEO. McGrath joined PhotoMedex in January 2000, and has served as its CFO since that time.