Despite being less than a year old, Lasertel has already established itself as a volume producer of high-power laser diodes for a wide range of applications.

A new Tucson-based laser manufacturer has opened its doors, built its first 10 000 square feet of cleanroom, installed molecular beam epitaxy reactors, established processes to qualify for ISO 9001, and shipped products all within its first six months of operation. Lasertel, which was founded in May 2000, manufactures high-power semiconductor lasers. Initial products include 1 cm long unmounted bars with output powers of 20, 40 and 60 W. Also in Lasertel s portfolio is its unique Quad Blaster LT-Series, a fiber-coupled package containing four channels of individually addressable diodes at 830 nm. These high-power lasers incorporate packaging innovations that significantly reduce size. In comparison, four single-emitter packages require more than three times the space of a single Quad Blaster (see ). The Quad Blaster was initially developed for Lasertel s parent company Presstek, based in Hudson, NH, which uses the Quad package as a component in its ProFire line. Presstek, the world s largest user of high-power, fiber-coupled diode lasers, manufactures digital imaging and thermal plate products. Space savings A large number of high-power lasers are required to achieve an acceptable plate write time in digital imaging applications. However, space is also at a premium, giving the four-emitter Quad Blaster a distinct advantage. Each of the four lasers is coupled to a 60 m core fiber that emits up to 1 W of optical power. The four fiber outputs are sent through a single lens assembly, resulting in adjustable spot sizes of between 18 and 24 m on the plate material. Presstek manufactures integrated optical assemblies with 32 optical outputs which contain 8 Quad Blaster packages. In fact, says Lasertel CEO Tom Dearmin, Presstek created its newest subsidiary specifically to ensure that the company had a supply of lasers to maintain its cutting-edge position in digital technologies. "The high demand for semiconductor lasers, especially for the fast-growing telecommunications market, puts pres-sure on companies [such as Presstek] that need diodes for other applications," says Dearmin. "By starting Lasertel, Presstek guaranteed itself a reliable source of high-power, cost-effective lasers." Just as important, Dearmin says, is that Lasertel was designed from the ground up to be a high-volume, state-of-the-art manufacturer for a broad range of industries. It intends to use its design capabilities and excess capacity to serve other markets, including telecommunications, industrial, materials processing, illumination, medical, and government/defense industries. The company s quick start-up has already allowed it to offer unmounted bars and other semiconductor laser products to outside customers. By the end of the year, Lasertel s 80 000 sq. ft facility will include cleanroom space of 30 000 sq. ft, four molecular beam epitaxy reactors, additional production lines and a new manufacturing area devoted entirely to telecommunications products. "As a semiconductor laser company, Lasertel is focused on meeting specifications, high production volumes and on-time delivery," explains Dearmin. "Only a handful of companies can do high volume, and in the markets for semiconductor lasers, volume is crucial to sustained success." An atypical start-up With prior experience in starting and running a semiconductor laser operation, Lasertel s management team knew the importance of having a solid business plan at the outset. "Our plan was designed to capitalize on the successful operations of other companies, but also to correct for their weaknesses," notes Steve McComb, director of business development. To fast-track its operation, Lasertel hired engineers, scientists and managers known for their work in photonics and their experience in volume manufacturing. The company also created an extensive employee development program, cross-training all workers in processing, assembly and fiber coupling. Once Lasertel operators and technicians have been certified on one process, they work in that area while simultaneously training on the next procedure. With highly trained staff maintaining standardized quality processes, Lasertel engineers are free to develop next-generation technology. "Our goal was to create a system that would retain key staff in a high-growth environment, while building flexibility into the very heart of the manufacturing process," explains Bernard Walik, vice-president of operations (see ). A second goal of Lasertel s business plan was to set up a paperless factory. Operator stations have flip charts that graphically demonstrate the manufacturing and assembly steps for each product, and touch-screen monitors are located at each station for more detailed instructions. "Both steps help streamline and standardize processes and increase throughput," says Walik. Lasertel has also taken a different approach to materials management. Traditionally, a product is built in anticipation of what will be sold. By contrast, Lasertel s "lean manufacturing" strategy encourages production, engineering and marketing to work together to cut production time and fill orders quickly. "The goal is to have a batch size of one, and a lead time of zero," says Linda Moore, materials manager. "This results in less inventory, less reworking, less wasted manufacture and less wasted material." Combined with cross-trained operators, this approach allows Lasertel to optimize resources, particularly for meeting customer-specific orders. A powerful product range At present, Lasertel manufactures multimode diode lasers and has plans to expand into single-mode products at the end of 2001. The primary LT Series includes single- and multi-emitter options. Standard wavelengths include 808, 830, 915, 940 and 980 nm, with a 14xx nm pump source in development (see ). Seven standard product lines offer a variety of high-performance options, including small footprints for easy OEM integration, thermoelectrically cooled pump lasers, void-free bonding and robust packaging with TE and TM polarization. In addition to its standard lines, Lasertel has devoted considerable resources to customer specific products. The company plans to integrate custom product packaging to meet customer specifications at market-enabling prices. "Our goal is to develop long-term partnerships," says Dearmin. "Some market segments in graphics, medical, industrial and other areas have been closed because of the high price of semiconductor lasers. Lasertel s volume operation, with optimized production and controlled costs, allows customers to efficiently integrate our products, and to innovate and expand into new markets." Optics Valley All the manufacturing steps at Lasertel are based at its Tucson facility, a distinct advantage in a high-tech industry in which companies routinely conduct assembly in other countries. According to Dearmin, 100% on-site production of semiconductor lasers results in quicker order-to-shipment times and greater control over R&D. In-house development has also allowed Lasertel to make significant product advancements, starting with the initial epitaxial material and extending through the final polishing techniques for optical fibers. Laser design has been optimized to improve electrical and optical performance. Epitaxial structures, laser cavities and emitter-to-emitter spacings have also been arranged to eliminate electrical and optical cross talk, allowing the emitters to be closely spaced and improving overall system performance. Simplifying the internal characteristics of the package reduces the number of soldering steps, tolerance build-up and overall manufacturing time. Other improve- ments include aluminum-free platforms, the use of metallized ceramics, custom pre-deposited solder configurations, and automated pick-and-place equipment. Lasertel uses state-of-the-art MBE reactors to grow its crystal wafers. These reactors and Lasertel s proprietary epitaxial processes significantly improve yield over that possible with other wafer technologies. As with all semiconductor devices, improved yield reduces the company s pass-along costs. Lasertel is one of nearly 200 optics companies that, along with the highly regarded optical sciences and semiconductor programs at the University of Arizona, make up the Optics Valley in Tucson. This confluence of optics experts, supported by the Arizona Optics Industry Association, creates a unique synergy. The future of semiconductor lasers Industry experts agree that semiconductor lasers are in great demand, fueled by the growth in telecommunications. In positioning itself as a volume manufacturer, Lasertel expects to compete for its share of the pump laser market, making it one of a handful of independent suppliers. Within two years of start-up, Lasertel plans to have the capacity to ship 1500 2000 diode packages a day, and increase its staff (now 100 plus) to more than 250 employees. Lasertel anticipates ISO qualification by the end of this year, and is also in the process of attaining Bellcore qualification for its telecommunications products in 2001. "Our patents in semiconductor laser design and production, customer-specific product capabilities, and progress towards attaining ISO 9001 and Bellcore certification are attracting considerable attention," says Dearmin. "We re on track to produce hundreds of thousands of units per year. It s been a great first year, and I believe the next five years will show the same rate of growth."