+44 (0)24 7671 8970
More publications     •     Advertise with us     •     Contact us
 
Loading...
News Article

Apple invests $390 Million in Finisar

News
Award will enable Finisar to exponentially increase R&D spending and high-volume VCSEL production in Texas

Apple has awarded $390 Million from its $1 billion Advanced Manufacturing Fund to Finisar, a manufacturer of optical communications components, notably VSCELs, used in Apple iPhones.

The award will enable Finisar to exponentially increase its R&D spending and high-volume production of VCSELs. VCSELs power some of Apple's most popular new features, including Face ID, Animoji and Portrait mode selfies made possible with the iPhone X TrueDepth camera, as well as the proximity-sensing capabilities of AirPods.

VCSEL technology is a better performing, more compact and cost-efficient solution compared to traditional edge-emitting lasers for many emerging applications. Apple has rapidly adopted depth-sensing technology in recent years, leading to the development and production of the most advanced VCSELs used in the history of consumer electronics. In the fourth quarter of 2017, Apple will purchase ten times more VCSEL wafers than were previously manufactured worldwide over a similar time period.

As a result of Apple's commitment, Finisar will transform a long-shuttered, 700,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Sherman, Texas, into the high-tech VCSEL capital of the US. Apple's award will create more than 500 high-skill jobs at the Sherman facility, including engineers, technicians and maintenance teams. When combined with the company's nearby plant in Allen, Texas, Finisar's payroll in Northern Texas is expected to be $65 million. Hiring, capital equipment planning and infrastructure upgrades are already underway at the Sherman facility, which is expected to begin shipping in the second half of 2018.

One hundred percent of the VCSELs Apple buys from Finisar will be made in Texas. Consistent with Apple's commitment to the environment, the company intends to procure enough renewable energy to cover all of its Apple manufacturing in the US.

"VCSELs power some of the most sophisticated technology we've ever developed and we're thrilled to partner with Finisar over the next several years to push the boundaries of VCSEL technology and the applications they enable," said Jeff Williams, Apple's chief operating officer. "Technology is only as good as the people behind it, and Finisar is a company with a long history of putting its employees first and supporting the community it's a part of. We're extremely proud that our involvement will help transform another American community into a manufacturing powerhouse."

Apple has committed to investing at least $1 billion with US-based companies as part of the fund, which is designed to foster innovative production and high-skill jobs that will help lay the foundation for a new era of technology-driven manufacturing in the US. In May, Apple announced Corning Incorporated had been awarded the first award from the fund "” $200 million to support their R&D, capital equipment needs and state-of-the-art glass processing.

"We're excited to continue our innovation with Apple of a technology that has tremendous potential," said Jerry S. Rawls, CEO of Finisar. "When you combine our proven ability to consistently manufacture exceptional products with our new state-of-the-art Sherman facility, we're confident we can achieve our shared goal of providing consumers with incredibly exciting features. Finisar has always been keenly aware it takes great people to power our work and that's why we're thrilled to be adding Sherman to our family."

"Sherman is the perfect place for Finisar's significant investment in their operations and facilities and we couldn't be more grateful for their confidence. We're thrilled that Finisar and Apple will be a part of the Sherman business community," said Sherman Mayor David Plyler. "The City of Sherman has invested significantly in improved infrastructure and amenities, and that's translated into an unparalleled quality of life. The city has also adopted a pro-business culture, making Sherman the industry and commerce hub of North Texas."

In the US, Apple now supports 2 million jobs across all 50 states, including 450,000 jobs attributable to Apple's spend and investment with US-based suppliers. Last year alone, Apple spent over $50 billion with more than 9,000 domestic suppliers and manufacturers.

EMCORE announces integration of PICs into its products
Scottish photonics consortium wins £4.7m in UKRI funding
Yuanjie Semiconductor to supply lasers to POET
Fraunhofer IPMS announces government funding for quantum photonic chip
POET Technologies partners with Yuanjie Semiconductor Technology
SiLC announces silicon photonics systems for machine vision
Scientists develop novel optical modulators for integrated photonics
Scientists report integrated photodiodes on TFLN
Coherent wins award for innovative photonics product
FBH to present quantum technology developments at EQTC 2023
Skorpios and FormericaOE demonstrate PICs in 800G optical transceivers
EFFECT Photonics verifies fully integrated InP PIC
NASA awards grant for silicon photonics project
OpenLight and Spark Photonics partner on PIC design services
DustPhotonics announces 800G chip for hyperscale data centres and AI
Lightwave Logic Receives Industry Innovation Award
Imec announces SiGe BiCMOS optical receiver
SiFotonics announces silicon photonics 800G LPO solutions
Rockley Photonics progresses noninvasive biomarker monitoring
MantiSpectra secures €4 million for miniaturised spectrometers
Sivers to demo next-gen laser arrays at ECOC 2023
ASMPT AMICRA and Teramount collaborate on silicon photonics packaging
Quantum Computing Inc. selects Arizona site for photonic chip foundry
German government to fund ams OSRAM optoelectronic semiconductor development
Luceda Photonics introduces new PIC design software
Vodafone explores silicon photonics for future mobile networks
Coherent introduces 1200 mW pump laser module
Photonics startups invited to apply to Luminate NY accelerator
New tool could improve lithography for smaller, faster chips
InP-based lasers surpass 2.2 mm
Indie Semiconductor buys Exalos AG
New technique controls direction and wavelength of emitted heat

×
Search the news archive

To close this popup you can press escape or click the close icon.
Logo
×
Logo
×
Register - Step 1

You may choose to subscribe to the PIC Magazine, the PIC Newsletter, or both. You may also request additional information if required, before submitting your application.


Please subscribe me to:

 

You chose the industry type of "Other"

Please enter the industry that you work in:
Please enter the industry that you work in: