Could very well be Shash. If we look at the release from Semiconductor Today there are additional details that were not provided in the POET release. Could be a plan was being formulated related to POET’s current strategy to finance the production ramp through the friendly sale and supply/strategic co-operation agreement. The connection to a financial backing from Accelink certainly makes sense and is maybe a reason that POET did not provide/elaborate on the details provided below.

The one thing I will add is that Almae’s laser/modulator seems to be a perfect fit for the POET Optical Interposer platform. One would expect licensing in both directions which would lead to co-license agreements. A lot of details to put down on paper.

21 June 2018

Almae to co-develop laser modules based on POET’s optical interposer platform for high-speed datacoms

POET Technologies Inc of Toronto, Canada and San Jose, CA, USA — a designer and manufacturer of optoelectronic devices, including light sources, passive waveguides and photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for the sensing and datacom markets — has executed an agreement for the co-development of transmit device solutions with photonic product maker Almae Technologies SAS of Marcoussis, France, a spin-off from III-V Lab (the joint Nokia, Thales and CEA-Leti industrial research laboratory).

Almae is majority-owned by an affiliate of Accelink Technologies Co Ltd of Wuhan, China (a manufacturer of optical components and subsystems for the datacom, telecom and network access markets), which in March entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with POET for the co-development of transceivers for 100/400G markets as well as low-cost single-channel (10/25G) products for telecom applications.

Almae designs and produces indium phosphide (InP) epitaxial wafers used to implement photonics circuits integrating semiconductor lasers. The firm’s high-speed buried heterostructure laser technology consists of embedding the semiconductor strip constituting the laser with semi-insulating InP material, enabling good thermal exchange and optimum optical guidance of the beam, as well as low parasitic capacitance and resistance. This is said to enhance the implementation, stability and performance of integrated lasers. With over 2000m2 of cleanrooms, Almae has an annual full production capacity of several thousand wafers, incorporating new-generation laser components that support high-speed access over optical fibers.

The purpose of the agreement is to jointly develop, manufacture and sell a series of laser modules based on the POET Optical Interposer platform (announced in January) into high-speed data communication applications.

The firms will collaborate on the design of lasers and modulators to be compatible with POET’s Optical Interposer and to provide foundry services for both epitaxial supply and device fabrication. The collective efforts will be undertaken through a series of overlapping projects, spanning the exchange of data and techniques, co-development activities, commercial arrangements, and strategies for pursuing global go-to-market sales.

“We are very pleased to establish a framework for collaboration with Almae, a leading European supplier of high-performance EML lasers based on a novel buried heterostructure design and an advanced PIC fabrication platform,” says POET’s CEO Dr Suresh Venkatesan. “In addition to the joint development of Optical Interposer-compatible devices, the agreement outlines an arrangement for sharing expertise and resources to accelerate time-to-market for both companies, while also expanding our collective geographic reach and providing a much larger market opportunity,” he adds.

“The framework for collaboration with POET follows closely behind the recent introduction of our 25G integrated laser-modulator (25G EML), which has broad application in high-performance photonics,” says Almae’s CEO Dr Jean-Louis Gentner. “The inclusion of our device designs into the POET Optical Interposer platform will expand the applications we can address in both the datacom and telecom markets. We are also pleased to be able to offer our epitaxial foundry services to POET and to take advantage of POET’s fabrication capabilities in Singapore.”

http://www.semiconductor-today.com/news_items/2018/jun/almae-poet_210618.shtml 

See related items:

POET partner with 8” silicon foundry SilTerra Malaysia to develop and manufacture Optical Interposer Platform

POET and Accelink to co-develop transceivers for 100/400G markets

POET introduces Optical Interposer Platform for co-packaging of electronic and optical components

Almae orders Riber production MBE system to expand photonic component manufacturing capacity

III-V Lab spin-off Almae takes over Marcoussis facilities