11/30/2016
MNTL spin-off company to quadruple its wafer-making capabilities in Champaign over three years.
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The II-VI EpiWorks Division of II‐VI Incorporated (NASDAQ:IIVI), a leading provider of compound semiconductor epitaxial wafers, announced November 28, 2016, that it is breaking ground on a state-of-the-art production facility in Champaign, Illinois. The expansion is expected to be complete by mid-2017 and will enable a quadrupling of capacity in Champaign over the next three years.
In addition to substantial epitaxial wafer production space, the new cleanroom will house a state-of-the-art wafer characterization and test laboratory. This aggressive expansion enhances EpiWorks’ leadership position in the global compound semiconductor industry, supporting the performance and volume requirements for several key components that enable multiple growing markets. These include InP and GaAs-based optoelectronic communication components for cloud computing and datacenters, VCSELs for 3D sensing, and next generation wide-bandgap devices for 5G wireless infrastructure.
“High-performance compound semiconductors are required to meet the performance needs of modern communication networks, sensors, smartphones, wireless communications networks, and datacenters,” said Giovanni Barbarossa, chief technology officer and president of the Laser Solutions Segment. “Our technology is being adopted in many applications, and we are ensuring that our capacity continues to meet customer demand now and in the future. The new capacity will support our RF and photonics businesses, and we will have more resources to research and develop new materials and products.”
“Immediately after merging with II-VI in February 2016, we ordered three new MOCVD production tools and filled our current cleanroom space,” said Quesnell Hartmann and David Ahmari, co-founders of II-VI EpiWorks. “These systems have already been installed, and we have now moved into the next phase of growth by expanding our cleanroom space, launching an aggressive hiring plan, and working to build the industry’s most technologically advanced and efficient manufacturing line.”
“It is great to see EpiWorks continue to grow and create jobs in Illinois,” Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner said. “This company has a strong Illinois history, having been founded by University of Illinois alumni. EpiWorks’ success in Illinois is a testament to our state’s research universities, the ingenuity of our workforce, and the innovative community in Champaign Urbana. We hope to continue to be a partner with them to help grow their business within our borders and build upon this success.”
Ahmari and Hartmann, along with their PhD advisor Professor Greg Stillman, co-founded EpiWorks in 1997 to commercialize novel material deposition techniques and designs for high-performance III-V epitaxial devices. EpiWorks was purchased by II-VI Inc. early in 2016 for $49 million and remains in Champaign.
About II-VI EpiWorks
II-VI EpiWorks develops and manufactures compound semiconductor epitaxial wafers for application in optical components, wireless devices and high-speed communication systems. The company’s products provide these applications additional performance, such as greater bandwidth, higher power efficiency and better reliability. To learn more about EpiWorks visit www.epiworks.com.
About II-VI Incorporated
II-VI Incorporated, a global leader in engineered materials and opto-electronic components is a vertically integrated manufacturing company that develops innovative products for diversified applications in the industrial, optical communications, military, life sciences, semiconductor equipment, and consumer markets. Headquartered in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, with research and development, manufacturing, sales, service, and distribution facilities worldwide, the Company produces a wide variety of application-specific photonic and electronic materials and components, and deploys them in various forms including integrated with advanced software to enable our customers.