BluGlass Wins Laser Development Contract, Buys GaNWorks Foundry

BluGlass has signed a $1.8 million contract with North Carolina State University (NCSU) for laser development as part of the Commercial Leap Ahead for Wide Bandgap Semiconductors (CLAWS) Hub. This initial contract is for development work in fiscal year 2024 and supports the Microelectronics Commons program.

Established by the U.S. Department of Defense, the Microelectronics Commons is a collaborative capability-building program for defense and dual-use technologies. Led by NCSU, the CLAWS Hub is one of eight innovation hubs under the Microelectronics Commons program and has been awarded $39.4 million for the base year of performance. The CLAWS Hub comprises seven members: BluGlass, Coherent, Wolfspeed, General Electric, Adroit Materials, Kyma, and North Carolina A&T State University.

Per the fiscal 2024 contract, BluGlass will develop single-frequency distributed feedback lasers as well as advance its violet (405- and 420-nm) and blue (450-nm) single-mode lasers. If BluGlass is successful in securing additional core development contracts over the CLAWS program, its collaborative role may include the development of ultraviolet through to green single-mode lasers, single-frequency DFB lasers, and PICs.

In a separate development, Bluglass said it acquired GaNWorks Foundry, its commercial contract manufacturing partner, in a deal worth $800,000. BluGlass will acquire core gallium nitride wafer processing equipment and processes from GaNWorks, completing vertical integration of its Silicon Valley laser fabrication facility. The equipment is expected to complete installation and process transfer before the end of the year.