NKT Holding recently announced the merger of IONAS and CISILIAS to form NKT Integration A/S. The IONAS foundry service and passive component portfolio and CISILIAS' Erbium Doped Waveguide Amplifier (EDWA) technology are all based on Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PECVD) technology for the manufacture of integrated optical chips and components.
The focus of NKT Integration A/S will be on meeting the needs of optical components, sub-systems, and system suppliers though its foundry service, standard passive components portfolio, and active waveguide solutions based on erbium-doped waveguide amplifiers (EDWA). The combination of the IONAS mass production process and CISILIAS' EDWA technology know-how promises to deliver exciting solutions for next- generation optical networks, claim company representatives. The ultimate goal of NKT Integration A/S is to provide integrated devices, which take advantage of monolithic integration of both passive and active functionality on a planar chip.
"The merger of IONAS and CISILIAS makes sense," contends Lars Rønn, chief executive officer of IONAS. "IONAS is well established as one of the leading providers of passive optical components through our mass-production PLC foundry service. The addition of CISILIAS' EDWA technology extends this offering to provide the possibility of new and exciting integrated solutions. We firmly believe that our experience, technology base, and proven delivery capabilities will ensure that NKT Integration A/S can meet the industry's need for more integrated solutions at a price that will ensure widespread deployment of optical solutions," he adds.
The new company, NKT Integration A/S, will have a total staff of 70 people and will be jointly led by Rønn and Jacob Philipsen, chief executive officer of CISILIAS. Rønn will be responsible for NKT Integration's foundry service and related optical device offerings, while Philipsen will oversee amplifying waveguide devices. The company will be based at the IONAS facility in Birkerød, north of Copenhagen, Denmark.
For more information about IONAS (Birkerød, Denmark), visit the company's Web site at www.ionas.com. Additional information about CISILIAS (Lyngby, Denmark) can be found on the Web at www.cisilias.com.