JULY 28–TORRANCE, Calif.–Global Communications Semiconductor, Inc., a pure-play III-V compound semiconductor wafer foundry, is expanding foundry services for the optoelectronics industry due to market demand.

GCS offers pure-play III-V compound semiconductor foundry services for ICs (Integrated Circuits) used in the wireless and telecommunications electronics market segment. Optoelectronics component manufacturers are now taking advantage of GCS’ 4-inch, high-volume, cost-effective foundry infrastructure to improve profitability and market position in today’s very competitive environment.

“GCS provides foundry services in optoelectronics for products such as QWIP detectors, Modulators, VCSELs, GaAs and InGaAs PIN diodes and arrays on 4-inch wafers,” says Owen Wu, founder and chief strategy officer.

Due to the current economic climate, Wu explains that GCS has seen a growing trend among its customers to either “significantly reduce or mothball their internal optoelectronics foundry capabilities.”

High costs of maintaining foundry equipment, cleanroom facilities and technical personnel can be reduced or totally eliminated, which significantly increases the profitability of optoelectronic product lines.

“The major contributory factor being the high cost of maintaining a captive foundry to produce the relatively low number of wafers required to meet their product needs in a market that sees no end to competitive pricing pressures,” he adds. “However, until now, the application of the highly successful fabless IC business model to optoelectronics has not been an obvious solution to optoelectronics component manufacturers.”