Coherent to Double Production of Laser Lines

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Apr. 7 -- Coherent Inc.'s Laser Group has reported that it plans to double production capacity for its Fred and SabreFred product lines to meet rising demand from both dense-WDM and semiconductor customers. Both lasers, as well as the L1-FBG excimer laser -- produced by Lambda Physik, a Coherent subsidiary -- are employed in the manufacture of fiber Bragg gratings for the dense WDM market.
John Ambroseo, president of Coherent Laser Group, said, The push towards smaller feature sizes in the semiconductor market is also creating additional opportunities for the Fred and SabreFred lasers since their output characteristics are well-suited for several mission critical test and measurement applications. The company pointed out that many of the optical components used in steppers, such as optics and reticles, must be tested near the exposure wavelength to ensure performance. Coherent expects sales of the Fred and SabreFred product lines into this segment to increase 50 to 100 percent per year for the next two to three years.