Aeluma Executes Strategic Agreement with Sumitomo Chemical Advanced Technologies

Aeluma, Inc., a semiconductor company specializing in high-performance, scalable technologies for AI, mobile and consumer, defense and aerospace, and quantum, announced today it has executed an agreement with Sumitomo Chemical Advanced Technologies (SCAT) to accelerate development and production of photonics wafers for the AI datacom market. The agreement will initially leverage existing metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) capabilities at SCAT’s Phoenix, Arizona manufacturing facility, and provides a path for increasing capacity in the future.

Aeluma’s large-diameter non-indium-phosphide (non-InP) photonics platform combines best-in-class materials with mass-market microelectronics manufacturing. With InP substrates in short supply, and geopolitics adding risk and uncertainty, alternative approaches are being considered to meet the demand for high-performance photonics components such as photodetectors and lasers. Traditional InP manufacturing is carried out on 100mm substrates and smaller. While 150mm InP lines are being established, new fabs require time and resources to qualify, and InP substrates are expensive and in short supply.

Aeluma’s heterogeneous integration approaches leverage non-InP substrates such as 150mm gallium arsenide (GaAs) and 200 to 300mm silicon (Si) that are more readily available. In addition to the partnership with SCAT, Aeluma complements its in-house MOCVD capabilities by working with established large-volume GaAs and Si foundries for component fabrication, eliminating dependence on new fab buildouts and associated qualification timelines.

SCAT, a solely owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical, produces epitaxial wafers at its facility in Phoenix, Arizona for the optical communications, smartphone, wireless, and automotive industries.

“SCAT is an ideal partner to pair with Aeluma’s in-house MOCVD that is capable of producing wafers of any size, including large-diameter 150, 200, and 300mm substrates,” said Jonathan Klamkin, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Aeluma. “We have been working with SCAT for several years. This new agreement aims to strengthen our relationship and set the stage for accelerated development, qualification, production, and future potential expansion.”

“We look forward to continued partnership with Aeluma,” added Dr. Ken Campman, President & Executive Officer from SCAT. “The demand for epitaxial wafers for photodetectors and lasers has grown significantly, but InP substrate supply is limiting development and production efforts. Aeluma’s technology is a promising solution for the datacom market and may impact other markets as well.”

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