II-VI Incorporated and LITE-ON Sign Strategic Partnership Agreement for Volume Manufacturing and Marketing of Semiconductor Lasers for Mass-Market LiDAR

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- II‐VI Incorporated IIVI, a leader in semiconductor lasers, today announced that it signed a strategic partnership agreement with LITE-ON Technology Corporation (TWSE:2301), a global leader in optoelectronic components, to partner in the volume manufacturing and commercialization of packaged semiconductor lasers for mass-market light detection and ranging (LiDAR).

The rapid proliferation of LiDAR in automotive, commercial, and industrial applications is driving the demand for low-cost semiconductor laser devices that can be manufactured in very high volumes. II-VI and LITE-ON will leverage their respective high-volume manufacturing platforms for semiconductor lasers and optoelectronic packaging to jointly commercialize over time a broad portfolio of laser solutions spanning from near-infrared (NIR) to shortwave infrared (SWIR), with the first product to launch in midyear 2020.      

"II-VI is an established leader in highly reliable semiconductor laser diodes that serves a diverse range of end markets including communications, materials processing, aerospace & defense, life sciences, and consumer electronics," said Mr. Sander Su, Associate Vice President, OPS SBG, LITE-ON Technology Corporation. "By leveraging our deep experience in low-cost packaging and high-volume manufacturing, as well as our sales channels in automotive, commercial, and industrial markets, we will be able to meet the window of opportunity for high-volume LiDAR applications."

"LITE-ON leverages its global manufacturing footprint and sales channels to ship billions of light-emitting diodes each year in automotive and consumer electronics, making them an ideal partner for II-VI," said Dr. Karlheinz Gulden, Vice President, Laser Devices & Systems Business Unit, II-VI Incorporated. "We look forward to develop the most vertically integrated LiDAR laser sources on the market, driving our competitive leadership in terms of performance and value."

II-VI's broad portfolio of products for LiDAR includes laser sources, filters, mirrors, lenses, windows, and thermoelectric coolers.  II-VI will showcase its portfolio of products for automotive applications at AutoSens in Brussels, Sept. 17-19, 2019.

About II-VI Incorporated

II-VI Incorporated, a global leader in engineered materials and optoelectronic components, is a vertically integrated manufacturing company that develops innovative products for diversified applications in communications, materials processing, aerospace & defense, semiconductor capital equipment, life sciences, consumer electronics, and automotive markets. Headquartered in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, the Company has research and development, manufacturing, sales, service, and distribution facilities worldwide. The Company produces a wide variety of application-specific photonic and electronic materials and components, and deploys them in various forms, including integrated with advanced software to support our customers. For more information, please visit us at www.ii-vi.com.

About LITE-ON Technology Corporation

Founded in 1975, LITE-ON Technology Corporation is a worldwide leading provider of optoelectronics, information technology, and storage device components. Building on its professional packaging designs and sophisticated manufacturing experiences, LITE-ON Technology not only has been able to provide customers with high-quality optoelectronic component solutions, but also has been constantly pursuing high-performance and low-pollutant light sources as the major goal. LITE-ON leverages its existing advantage as a world-class enterprise in this age of changes and challenges to become the partner of choice for global customers developing innovations and applications for photonic, energy-saving, and smart technologies. More information can be found at www.liteon.com.