Veeco Books Multi-System Lumina and Spector Orders for InP Datacom Laser Manufacturing
Veeco Instruments announced that a leading optical‑communications laser manufacturer placed multi‑system orders for its Lumina metal‑organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) tools and Spector ion‑beam sputtering (IBD) coating systems. The Lumina will serve as the production‑tool‑of‑record for indium phosphide (InP) epitaxy, while Spector will coat laser diode facets for high‑power datacom lasers. The deal arrives as optical‑transceiver sales surged to $23 bn in 2025, a 50% year‑over‑year increase driven by hyperscaler capital spending. Veeco says the order cements its role in the InP laser manufacturing ecosystem.
Navitas Exhibiting Solutions for AI Data-Center, Grid and Energy Infrastructure, Performance Computing, and Industrial Electrification
Navitas Semiconductor showcased a suite of GaN and SiC power solutions at APEC 2026 in San Antonio, targeting AI data centers, high‑performance computing, grid infrastructure, and industrial electrification. The company unveiled a 10 kW 800 V‑to‑50 V GaN‑powered DC‑DC platform delivering 98.5% efficiency...
Infineon Adds to CoolGaN Drive HB 600V G5 Product Family
Infineon Technologies has broadened its CoolGaN portfolio with the CoolGaN Drive HB 600V G5 family, adding four half‑bridge ICs that embed two 600 V GaN switches, high‑ and low‑side drivers and a bootstrap diode. The integration slashes external component count and eases PCB routing, while...
UCSB’s James Buckwalter Inducted as Senior Member of the US National Academy of Inventors
University of California Santa Barbara electrical and computer engineering professor James Buckwalter has been inducted as a senior member of the U.S. National Academy of Inventors. The honor recognizes his pioneering work on high‑speed, high‑frequency integrated circuits that power 5G,...
ROHM Licenses TSMC’s GaN Processs Technology for Hamamatsu Fab
ROHM Semiconductor announced a licensing agreement with TSMC to adopt the foundry’s 650 V GaN process at its Hamamatsu fab, targeting volume production in 2027. The integration combines ROHM’s device design expertise with TSMC’s advanced manufacturing, creating an end‑to‑end GaN supply...
CSconnected Announces £1m Final Call for Supply Chain Development Programme
CSconnected, the world’s first compound‑semiconductor cluster, has launched the fourth and final £1 million round of its Supply Chain Development Programme, backed by the Strength in Places Fund and Cardiff Capital Region. The call invites UK‑based firms, especially those in South...
Ascent Solar’s PV Blankets to Power NOVI AI Pathfinder Spacecraft
Ascent Solar Technologies has supplied its lightweight, flexible CIGS photovoltaic blankets to NOVI Space’s N‑1 ATLAS spacecraft. The N‑1 ATLAS, a toaster‑sized hyperspectral imaging satellite, will launch aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Transporter‑16 in March and generate 150 W of power. The integration...
EPC Adds 3-Phase BLDC Motor Drive Inverter Evaluation Board for Humanoid Robot Joint Applications
Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) unveiled the EPC91122, a 3‑phase BLDC motor‑drive inverter evaluation board tailored for humanoid robot joint applications. The board incorporates EPC’s EPC33110 GaN ePower Stage, delivering up to 20 A RMS (28 A peak) in a 32 mm‑diameter core while supporting...
UV LED Prices Rising by 5% in Q1 Due to Increased Material and Labor Costs
TrendForce reports UV LED prices up 5% QoQ in Q1 2026 due to higher precious‑metal, raw‑material and labor costs. Customized UV‑A products see up to 5% quarter‑on‑quarter price gains. The market is projected to reach $215 million in 2026, delivering at least...
Compound Semiconductor Materials Market Growing at 14% CAGR to Almost $5.2bn by 2031
Yole Group’s 2026 report projects the global compound‑semiconductor substrate and epiwafer market to grow at a 14% CAGR, reaching roughly $5 bn by 2031. The surge is powered by electrification, AI‑driven data‑center demand, and next‑generation connectivity, with silicon carbide (SiC) anchoring...
Ayar Labs Names Sankara Venkateswaran as VP of Engineering
Ayar Labs, a silicon‑photonic co‑packaged optics pioneer, has appointed Sankara Venkateswaran as vice president of engineering. Venkateswaran will oversee the development of the company’s TeraPHY optical engines and drive the transition from prototype to mass‑production for hyperscale AI workloads. His...
BluGlass Secures A$190,000 Order From TOPTICA for Custom GaN Visible Lasers
BluGlass Ltd secured a A$190,000 (US$132,500) order from TOPTICA Photonics to supply custom gallium‑nitride visible‑wavelength lasers for photonic integrated circuits. The lasers will be used in TOPTICA’s next‑generation single‑frequency PICs that enable quantum capabilities for trapped‑ion, neutral‑atom, and photonic quantum...
Luminus Leverages APC Partnership to Enhance Energy-Efficient LED Lighting Solutions
Luminus Devices and APC Electronics have formed an exclusive partnership that couples Luminus’s high‑brightness LED modules with APC‑E’s silicon‑carbide (SiC) power semiconductors. The integration promises up to 15% efficiency improvement in high‑power luminaires and a 50% reduction in power‑supply size...
Photon Bridge Demos >30mW Laser Output per Color at Wafer Scale on Silicon Photonics
Photon Bridge of Eindhoven announced wafer‑scale validation of its heterogeneous silicon photonics platform, achieving over 30 mW continuous‑wave output per color at chip edge facets. The power level satisfies per‑channel requirements for next‑generation 1.6 T and 3.2 T co‑packaged optical engines, enabling multiple...
SemiQ Debuting SiC Power Solutions for AI Data Centers and High-Power Infrastructure at APEC
SemiQ Inc unveiled its third‑generation silicon‑carbide (SiC) power modules at APEC 2026, targeting AI‑driven data centers, high‑power industrial equipment, and electric‑vehicle applications. The QSiC Gen3 lineup delivers a 30% cut in specific on‑resistance and turn‑off energy losses, simplifying cooling and boosting efficiency....
Wolfspeed Adds VP of Sales for EMEA
Wolfspeed announced the appointment of Stefan Steyerl as Vice President of Sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, effective March 1. Steyerl brings more than 25 years of semiconductor sales leadership, most recently from Allegro MicroSystems and earlier roles...
Tower and Scintil Announce Availability of First Heterogeneously Integrated DWDM Lasers for AI Infrastructure
Tower Semiconductor and Scintil Photonics announced the world’s first heterogeneously integrated dense‑wavelength‑division‑multiplexing (DWDM) laser sources for AI infrastructure, leveraging Scintil’s SHIP technology on Tower’s high‑volume silicon photonics platform. The LEAD Light module combines monolithic laser sources with silicon photonics to...
Ams OSRAM and Meizhi Settle Patent Disputes over LEDs Used in Spider Farmer Luminaires
ams OSRAM and Shenzhen Meizhi Optoelectronics have reached a settlement ending pending LED‑related patent disputes in the United States and Germany. The agreement resolves litigation concerning ams OSRAM's patents used in Spider Farmer horticultural lighting systems. Under the deal, Meizhi...
SDI Buys PRP Optoelectronics for £9.3m
SDI Group plc has acquired PRP Optoelectronics Ltd for a cash consideration of £9.3 million, plus a deferred payment of up to £0.9 million. PRP, a Swindon‑based specialist in custom micro‑LEDs, LED light engines and monolithic LED arrays, generated £5.99 million in revenue...
SemiQ Partners with Distributor NAC Semi Across North America
SemiQ Inc., a designer of silicon‑carbide (SiC) power semiconductors and 150 mm epitaxial wafers, has signed a distribution agreement with NAC Semi, a North‑American component distributor. The deal gives NAC Semi direct access to SemiQ’s high‑efficiency MOSFETs, power modules and Schottky diodes, targeting...
Nitride Global, USLLC and Axiom Space Awarded NASA SBIR Grant
Nitride Global, United Semiconductors LLC, and Axiom Space have won a NASA SBIR grant to develop a physical vapor deposition reactor that can grow high‑purity aluminum nitride (AlN) crystals in micro‑gravity. The Phase I prototype achieved temperatures of 2,800‑3,200 °C while consuming...
NUBURU Activates Q1 Production Ramp for 40 High-Power Blue Laser Systems
NUBURU Inc. has launched its Q1 2026 production ramp for 40 high‑power blue laser systems through its Italian subsidiary Lyocon, fulfilling an $850,000 contract with Dutch agritech firm Trabotyx. The order comprises 24 units of 100 W and 16 units of 200 W...