RÜSCHLIKON, Switzerland -- Following the acquisition of the photodiode business line of former Opto Speed, Albis Optoelectronics AG today announced, that it re-launches a state-of-the-art product portfolio of photodiode chips and receiver subassemblies.

Swiss optical component manufacturer Albis Optoelectronics AG was founded in August 2003 by Dr. Markus Blaser (former Product Line Manager Photodiodes of Opto Speed) and Dr. Joerg Wieland (President and CEO of Helix AG). The company took over all assets associated with the photodiode business line of former Opto Speed, including intellectual property, key employees, the equipment and the 2000 square-feet clean room facilities located in Rueschlikon near Zurich, Switzerland. In this way, the supply of high quality photodiode chips is secured, and is available for former Opto Speed customers as well as for newly interested parties.

Financing has been committed to the company by a group of private individuals including the founders and senior management. "With its lean, focused organization, the company is sized for the current market situation", says Albis Chairman and Founder Joerg Wieland, "but also has the resources to develop new business opportunities."

Albis Optoelectronics has a well established, world class manufacturing base for high performance data- and telecom photodetectors based on more than 20 years experience inherited from Opto Speed and ETH Zurich. From day one, Albis Optoelectronics designs, manufactures and sells a complete line of mature and fully qualified InGaAs/InP based p-i-n photodiodes for optical interconnects, long-haul, metro and high-speed LAN/SAN applications as well as analog optical microwave signal transmission. As these products are manufactured in the former Opto Speed fab, using the same equipment, protocols, staff and tools, the vast amount of qualification data gathered in the past is still applicable, thus avoiding any requalification efforts.

Albis will have a strong focus on the development of highly advanced photodiode products for 10 Gb/s short reach data communication. "An active area of 65 to 70 micron diameter at speeds of 10 Gb/s and operating bias voltages below 2 volts has been demonstrated" says Markus Blaser, Albis Chief Technology Officer. "Development of such products is finalized and single channel as well as array prototypes are available immediately".

Albis Optoelectronics AG