AOI LASER WINS 2000 SBIR TECHNOLOGY OF THE YEAR AWARD
Source: Applied Optoelectronics
Sugar Land, TX. Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (AOI) has received the 2000 SBIR Technology of the Year Award for sensors and instrumentation.
AOI was honored for its innovative mid-infrared semiconductor laser. The laser was developed with SBIR funding from the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO), the U.S. Air Force and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
"The AOI team worked hard to design this laser and it feels good to have our innovation recognized with such a prestigious award," said Thompson Lin, president and CEO of AOI. Lin also credited the SBIR program and the BMDO, Air Force and NSF for their role in stimulating technology companies. “As a result of SBIR funding we have developed a mid-infrared laser that solves mission critical problems both for commercial and industrial users, as well as the military,” said Lin. “SBIR funding was the catalyst we needed to turn our ideas into a viable technology company. AOI’s present rapid growth wouldn’t have been possible without that initial seed.”
Infrared lasers have considerable applications beyond missile defense. Mid-infrared lasers are ideal for sensitive chemical analysis and diagnostic applications, ranging from medical analysis of chemical compounds (such as instant assessment of glucose) to real-time detection of hazardous chemicals and explosives. Considerably less expensive and more compact for its power than conventional infrared lasers, AOI’s laser is enabling a new generation of sensing technologies. AOI is poised to begin shipping this mid-infrared laser in quantity in early 2001. Sample lasers are already available.
The Seventh Annual Technology of the Year Awards were presented at the National Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Conference held in Bellevue, WA last week. The awards recognize important new commercial products and services developed through the federal government’s SBIR grant program, the largest source of early-stage R&D financing in the U.S. Previous award winners include Picolight Inc. and Emcore Corp.
About AOI Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (AOI) is a vertically integrated optoelectronics company that designs, grows, processes and packages advanced semiconductor optoelectronic components, including lasers, photodetectors and LEDs primarily for the biosensing and telecommunications markets. The company currently employs 35 people, and has just completed construction of a 24,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Sugar Land, Texas, south of Houston.
For additional information: www.ao-inc.com
Web site: http://www.ao-inc.com
