POET to deliver product prototypes in 2016
POET Technologies, a developer of opto-electronics fabrication processes, has announced that it is on-plan with its lab-to-fab initiative to deliver first product prototypes this year.
The company says that it is sticking closely to its commercialisation timetable to introduce a monolithic opto-electronics process platform for the production of smart optical components. Built to deliver the power of light at near the competitive price points of copper, POET's platform is designed to be capable of significant improvements in energy efficiency, component cost and size, according to the company.
Since its previous corporate update in September last year, POET has reached a number of milestones. It has transferred its proprietary technology to multiple foundry partners; received promising initial results of wafers processed at its newest foundry supplier Wavetek; initiated a process to produce integrated VCSEL prototypes; and has also consolidated its Toronto-Connecticut-San Jose operations in Silicon Valley.
The company also reports being in advanced discussions with a leading institution to enter into a joint development agreement to evaluate the adaptation of the POET platform for potential applications in micro-displays for the augmented reality market.
POET CEO Suresh Venkatesan commented: "Photonics is experiencing a post-telecom second wave of growth - this one, fuelled by consumers engaged in always-on social networking, cloud computing, Software as a Service (SaaS) and the ubiquitous devices that are central to our lives.
"Social Networking, Cloud Computing, the Internet of Things and the growth of mega-datacentres are galvanising a renewed growth spurt in photonics. We believe, POET is at confluence of these megatrends. And we believe we are in the position not just to ride them, but to drive them."