Bookham Debuts GaAs MMICs

MILAN, Italy -- Bookham Technology plc, a leading provider of integrated optical components and subsystems for fiber optic communication networks, will launch a portfolio of GaAs MMICs and foundry services at the European Microwave Week 2002, to be held during 24 - 26 September in Milan, Italy. The first new product from the company’s increased investment will be a 5W GaAs X-band power amplifier, due to sample in the fourth quarter of 2002. The amplifier will complement the company’s existing X-band Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) and driver products.Bookham Technology is building its presence in the GaAs MMIC market by developing its facilities at Caswell, UK, acquired from Marconi Corporation in February 2002. The Caswell foundry has the longest continuous history of GaAs development in the world, going back to 1962, and has over 100 man-years of experience in GaAs MMIC design.“GaAs foundry services are very much at the forefront of our initial business expansion,” says Ray Taylor, Business Manager, RF MMICS & Foundry Products, at Bookham Technology. “This is a good time for Bookham Technology to raise its profile in RF MMICs as both the military and space markets are fairly buoyant at the moment. There are lots of satellites in the pipeline for both military and commercial applications.”“We are picking up a lot of enquiries for foundry services - from people who have their own designs that we are asked to process, through to people who supply their product requirements and we do all the design and process work.”Bookham Technology plc