Photonics News: Week in Brief: 10/22/21

CINCINNATI — In Place Machining (IPM), parent company of Exact Metrology, has acquired OASIS Alignment Services LLC as part of a long-term growth strategy to expand its reach and service offerings in North America. Paired with its acquisition of Exact Metrology earlier in the year, the addition of OASIS will enable the company to undertake metrologically demanding jobs throughout North America. OASIS Alignment Services provides 3D precision measurement, machine alignment, and mechanical services

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Optical solutions provider Windstream Wholesale has partnered with II-VI to co-develop next-generation transceivers for the deployment of 400 Gbit services. The components will reduce cost, power consumption, and network complexity.

RESTON, Va. — CACI International was awarded a 15-month $4.9 million program by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base to advance high-power multispectral laser technology in support of electro-optical sensors for a variety of military missions. Under the contract, CACI will develop a high-power laser prototype that emits light over a broad range of wavelengths in the optical spectrum, from UV to SWIR.

CARDIFF, England — IQE plc, a supplier of advanced compound semiconductor wafer products and material solutions, has entered a strategic partnership with GlobalFoundries to develop gallium nitride on silicon (GaN on Si) technologies for mobile and wireless infrastructure applications. The result of the collaboration will be a GaN on Si offering at GF’s Fab 9 facility in Burlington, Vt., using wafers supplied by IQE.

KISTA, Sweden — Sivers Semiconductors has entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of the share capital of MixComm, a U.S.-based mmWave challenger fabless semiconductor company, for an initial purchase price of $135 million on a debt-free basis. Sivers will increase its total number of design wins by approximately 70% to 44, as well as double the number of design wins expected to enter volume production within the next 12 months, from eight to 16. MixComm currently has 18 design wins, including with a major Tier 1 5G infrastructure customer, and approximately 20 patents filed, granted, or exclusively licensed.

CHICAGO — CGI Automated Manufacturing, a portfolio company of private equity firm CORE Industrial Partners LLC, acquired Advanced Laser Machining (AL), a full-service provider of metals-focused contract manufacturing solutions. AL combines broad metal fabrication capabilities with complex assembly and complementary value-added services to provide solutions for a variety of end markets, including supercomputing, aerospace and defense, medical, transportation, and industrials. Founded in 1996, AL operates four facilities and holds a certification from the American Welding Society.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Lumentum awarded its first Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) scholarships to 16 applicants from its 2021 internship program. The scholarships are designed to increase educational opportunities to diverse students from underrepresented groups in the high-tech sector.