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Nova Crystals sells APD technology to Gemfire

Planar integrated optics specialist Gemfire has acquired technology relating to InGaAs-on-silicon avalanche photodiodes from Nova Crystals.
Gemfire, a Californian company that develops planar optical circuits, has acquired a portfolio of technology relating to avalanche photodiodes (APDs) from Nova Crystals, a now defunct optoelectronic component manufacturer.

Nova Crystals’ technology uses a proprietary wafer-bonding technique to combine the high detection sensitivity of InGaAs with the beneficial manufacturing properties of silicon (see Nova Crystals takes InGaAs-on-silicon avalanche photodiodes to the market (May 2002)).

Gemfire says that the APD technology, which can be manufactured using planar silicon processes, will complement its recently acquired passive planar lightwave circuits (PLC) operations and existing polymer PLC waveguide products. The detectors operate at telecom wavelengths, allowing Gemfire to develop integrated planar WDM solutions, and can also be designed to operate in Geiger mode for single-photon-counting applications.

Richard Tompane, president and CEO of Gemfire, said, “This technology not only allows cost-effective integration of detectors into PLCs for increased functionality, but also enables Gemfire to serve customers addressing several emerging market opportunities such as quantum key cryptography.”

The end of Nova Crystals
The technology acquisition comes several months after Nova Crystals’ manufacturing equipment was sold by auction. Among the items offered were two Emcore D180 MOCVD reactors, two Bede X-ray systems, a JEOL field-emission SEM, and various steppers and etchers.

In addition to InGaAs-on-silicon detectors, Nova Crystals dabbled with a number of different devices including high-brightness LEDs and long-wavelength (1.3 micron) VCSELs), without achieving significant commercial success. The company was founded in September 1998 to commercialize technology developed at Cornell University.

A move to a new 40,000 square foot facility in San Jose helped to burn through some of the $31.25 million that Nova Crystals raised in its third financing round in October 2000.

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