Taunton, Massachusetts–Kopin Corp., a provider of heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) for wireless and fiber-optic telecom applications, has entered into an agreement with Rockwell Science Center (RSC) of Thousand Oaks, CA, a leader in the development of ultra-high-speed device and circuit technologies and advanced HBT technologies, to accelerate the development of indium phosphide (InP)-based HBTs for commercial applications.

Under the agreement, Kopin will develop InP-based HBT structures, while RSC will create processing technologies for devices and circuits.

“Rockwell Science Center pioneered the development of HBT technology, and we are very pleased to partner with this distinguished organization,” says Dr. John C.C. Fan, Kopin’s president and chief executive officer. “RSC combines an excellent team of R&D scientists and engineers with world-class expertise in high-speed devices and circuits. Several years ago, Kopin and Rockwell co- developed commercial GaAs-based HBT power amplifiers for wireless phones. We are delighted to combine forces again as we focus on accelerating the introduction of InP HBTs into the commercial marketplace. This agreement comes only a month after our introduction of carbon-doped InP HBTs for use in wireless and high- speed optical communication. Our partnership with RSC will provide rapid advances in the fundamental material and device technologies, while Kopin will continue to work with its customers on commercial applications.”

Compared to GaAs-based HBTs, Kopin and Rockwell report that InP-based HBTs demonstrate superior speed, lower operating voltage, higher power efficiency, and better thermal properties. Kopin has been growing carbon-doped InP-based HBTs with excellent performance using its proprietary and patent-pending process in production organometallic chemical vapor deposition (OMCVD) systems. This breakthrough should enable a new generation of high-performance, reliable, cost-effective InP-based HBT circuits for a variety of exciting applications, including 40 gigabit per second (Gb/s) fiber-optic circuits (OC-768), and efficient power amplifiers for third generation wireless phones.

“InP-based HBTs are becoming the most exciting frontier for ultra-high-speed circuits,” says RSC Director Dr. Derek Cheung, an expert in high-speed devices and circuits. “Kopin’s success in incorporating active carbon doping in InP-based HBTs by OMCVD is a very important advance, especially in view of the fact that Kopin is already the proven leader in commercial production of GaAs-based HBTs. Our two teams have worked successfully on GaAs-based HBTs, and we are now combining our resources to move InP-based HBTs into commercial readiness within a year.”