GCS Expands Opto Foundry Services

TORRANCE, Calif. -- GCS, Inc. (Global Communications Semiconductor, Inc.), a pure-play III-V compound semiconductor wafer foundry, formally announced today that it would expand foundry services for the optoelectronics industry due to market demand.

GCS has been a major leader in offering 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 & InGaAs PIN diodes and arrays on 4-inch wafers," commented Dr. Owen Wu, Founder & Chief Strategy Officer of GCS. "Due to the current economic climate, we have seen a growing trend by our customers to either significantly reduce or 'mothball' their internal optoelectronics foundry capabilities. 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. 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. We are working with many companies to reduce their operating expenses while gaining market share and profitability through the utilization of GCS as their 'Virtual Optoelectronics Foundry,'" continued Dr. Wu.

With experience in providing both GaAs and InP based PIN diodes, Detector Arrays, VCSELs and Modulators, GCS offers customers a "one stop" source for their optoelectronics production requirements. High costs of maintaining foundry equipment, clean room facilities and technical personnel can be reduced or totally eliminated, which significantly increases the profitability of optoelectronic product lines.

Global Communications Semiconductors Inc. (GCS)