General

SemiNex Corporation Announces New Vice President of Operations, Dennis Donahue, to scale its next generation high-powered laser diode business

May 31, 2023: SemiNex Corporation (Danvers, MA), a manufacturer of high-powered semiconductor laser diode-based devices and optical amplifiers, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dennis Donahue as the new Vice President of Operations. Mr. Donahue brings over 20 years of experience in manufacturing engineering, production, quality systems, supply chain management, and innovation to the company.

Dennis has extensive experience in developing and manufacturing complex products for a variety of markets including medical, biotechnology, aerospace, and industrial instrumentation. He is an accomplished VP of Operations with a complete understanding of operating in ISO 9001, FDA GMP, and ISO Class cleanroom environments.

Previously, Mr. Donahue served as the Vice President of Manufacturing Operations at Innovations in Optics, where he managed a manufacturing operation to produce, test, and improve complex, ultra-high brightness LED illumination systems and electronic drivers.

With his extensive experience in management, development, and mentoring of staff to create a culture of quality focus and continuous improvement, Mr. Donahue is well-positioned to drive SemiNex Corporation’s pursuit of operational excellence. His expertise in developing cross-functional organization processes and application of advanced manufacturing technologies will be vital in helping the company to achieve its growth objectives.

“We are so thrilled to welcome Dennis to our team,” said SemiNex Corporation’s CEO, Ronald Moore. “With his experience and expertise, we are confident that Dennis will scale our manufacturing operations in step with our incredible growth to achieve our ambitious quality, compliance, and new product introduction goals.”

Contact:
Dr. Daniel Chu
VP of Business Development and Product Management
+1 978-326-7702
dchu@seminex.com

We are excited to announce that SemiNex will be hosting two presentations at SPIE Photonics West 2023 held in San Francisco, CA, USA in SPIE LASE on Sunday, January 29 at 9:40 am and at 11:20 am. These presentations, High reliability of 1550nm triple junction laser diode for long-range automotive LiDAR and High performance semiconductor optical amplifier and array for FMCW LiDAR in high-speed autonomous vehicles, will capture the technological and application insights of high-power Triple Junction laser arrays and high-gain Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (SOA).

We will be showcasing our patented Triple Junction laser diode and array technologies that can provide hundreds to kilo-watts of lasing power for advanced rangefinder, ToF and Flash LiDAR. The eye-safe 1350nm and 1550nm Triple Junction can easily outperform its 905nm counterpart in the signal-to-noise ratio, detection capability and range. Our small form-factor and low-cost laser diode solution is the best alternative solution to a bulky and high-cost fiber laser for autonomous vehicles.

Our new SOA products provide a high-gain and high-saturation output power, which can enable long-range FMCW LiDAR with coherent detection. SemiNex will work with you on custom designs of individual amplifiers or arrays to meet the requirements in your integrated systems.

SemiNex invites you to meet with our staff at Booth #4712 from January 31 – February 2.
For inquiries regarding product offerings, custom designs and future projects with SemiNex, as well as scheduling a meeting with us at SPIE, contact marketing@seminex.com or +1-978-326-7708. Available in-person SPIE meeting times begin on January 31 and end on February 2. Details on the Triple Junction laser diodes and SOAs are available at seminex.com/lidar/.

US developer of laser diodes says its latest devices enable long-range FMCW LIDAR with coherent detection.

SemiNex, the Massachusetts-based company specializing in long-wavelength laser diodes, is expanding its range of options for automotive LIDAR applications with new semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) suited to frequency modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) technology.

The high-gain SOAs, available in the 1250-1650 nm wavelength range, are said to emit a high saturation output power of 500 mW, thus enabling long-range FMCW performance with coherent detection.

“SemiNex can work with you on custom designs of individual amplifiers or arrays to meet the requirements in your integrated systems,” announced the firm at the LASER World of Photonics event in Munich.

Triple-junction advantages
The move to accommodate FMCW designs, which are more complex than conventional time-flight lidars but can measure both the position and velocity of other objects on the road, follows SemiNex’s launch of triple-junction 1550 nm diodes for pulsed systems last year.

Outlining the technology behind the triple-junction devices in a presentation on the LASER trade show floor, SemiNex VP of marketing and business development Daniel Chu said the firm’s global patent on the approach meant it was the only company in the world able to produce the devices.

Because of eye safety regulations that limit the amount of optical power that can be deployed in the 905 nm region, longer-wavelength lidars offer a much greater “photon budget” – enabling the kind of long-range performance demanded for fast-moving autonomous vehicles.

Since the longer-wavelength emitters are fabricated using an indium phosphide material, they are typically much more expensive than 905 nm devices. However, SemiNex indicated that, if produced in large volumes, the triple-junction chips would be compatible with the kind of price points targeted by the automotive industry.

Efficiency gains
Chu detailed the “game-changing” characteristics of a triple-junction emitter versus a single 905 nm chip, with the 1550 nm device offering far higher pulse energy, longer target range, and superior signal-to-noise.

SemiNex’s epitaxial design is based around three active regions and two tunnel junctions, producing up to a 100 W output from a 350 µm aperture, and a significantly higher wallplug efficiency than a single-junction device.

While the use of three junctions produces three times the optical power of a single-junction design, the device’s voltage only increases by 50 per cent – meaning that the electrical efficiency is doubled.

“For time-of-flight [lidar], 1550 nm outperforms 905 nm in every category,” Chu said, adding that an array of the triple-junction emitters could deliver peak optical output power in excess of a kilowatt for flash lidar systems if required.

Chu and SemiNex’s VP of sales Ed McIntyre indicated that multiple customers were currently trialing the triple-junction diodes and high-gain SOAs, with samples of a new SOA slated to become available this summer.

The pair added that they did not expect the LIDAR industry to converge on a “single solution” for automotive applications, suggesting that there would continue to be a place for time-of-flight, flash, and FMCW approaches, as auto manufacturers work to figure out how best to combine LIDAR with other sensors such as radar and cameras in sensor fusion systems for different types of vehicles.

Dear Customers and Friends:

You are cordially invited to meet with SemiNex staff at Booth B4.517 at Laser World of Photonics 2022, held in Munich, Germany from April 26 to 29. We are excited to share with you our patented Triple Junction laser diode and array that can provide hundreds to kilowatts of lasing power for advanced rangefinders, ToF and Flash LiDAR. The eye-safe 1350nm and 1550nm Triple Junction can easily outperform its 905nm counterpart in the signal-to-noise ratio, detection capability and range. Our small form-factor and low cost laser diode solution is the best alternative solution to a bulky and high-cost fiber laser for autonomous vehicles.

At the show we will also unveil our new Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (SOA) with high gain and high saturation output power, which can enable long-range FMCW LiDAR with coherent detection. SemiNex can work with you on custom designs of individual amplifiers or arrays to meet the requirements in your integrated systems.

To capture the technological and application insights of high power Triple Junction laser arrays and high gain SOA, you can come to the talk presented by Dr. Daniel Chu in Forum Laser and Optics at B4.134, on Wednesday, April 27, at 1:40pm.

To have an in-person discussion at the show regarding the SemiNex product offerings, you can schedule a meeting by contacting Ed McIntyre at emcintyre@seminex.com or +1-978-326-7703. Details on the Triple Junction laser diodes are available at seminex.com/triple-junction/.

03.03.2022

At Photonics West 2022 in San Francisco, Dr. Sidi Aboujja of SemiNex Corporation unveiled the
technical details and overall performances of the new 1550nm Triple Junction laser diodes for long-range LiDAR. The presentation video can be viewed below.

In his talk, Dr. Aboujja presented the commercially available Triple Junction laser diodes which can achieve 3x the optical power of a single junction, with a mere 50% increase in the operating voltage. Such advanced design allows 2x higher in the wall plug efficiency over a single junction laser diode.  The high performance over a wide temperature range of the Triple Junction with eye-safe 1550nm allows automotive LiDAR design with smaller footprint and lower cost. A benchmark study vs. 905nm counterpart demonstrates that a LiDAR with a Triple Junction laser diode at 1550nm can generate 80x more photons, achieve 60x in the signal-to-noise ratio, 24x stronger in detection probability, and detect 3x longer distance.  This triple junction breakthrough in 1550nm diode lasers by SemiNex allows the LiDAR industry to look beyond 250m of detection distance with a single low-cost laser diode and opens up a whole array of long-range applications including high-speed autonomous vehicles.

Details on the Triple Junction laser diodes are available at www.seminex.com.  For more information and product availability, contact sales@seminex.com.

11.29.2021

09.2021

SemiNex Corporation will be at CIOE (The 23^rd China International Optoelectronic Exposition) in Shenzhen from September 16^th to 18^th to connect with regional customers and support new applications. Innovations of high power laser diodes from 1250nm to 1940nm for LiDAR, military, medical, and industrial applications will be showcased. 

Highlights at CIOE will include:

• 1550nm Triple Junction laser diode for long range LiDAR and rangefinders: Patent-pending multi-junction semiconductor laser diode at eye-safe wavelengths can generate 80 times more photons than 905nm from a LiDAR emitter, and achieve 3 times longer in detection distance and 24 times higher in detection capability. 

• 1940nm Gallium Antimonide (GaSb) laser diode: SemiNex high power GaSb laser diodes provide 50% more power than comparable diode lasers in the market today for medical, material processing, and sensing applications.
• 1450nm Laser Engines for home consumer cosmetics: This is a cost-effective solution for wrinkle removal and skin rejuvenation. Its small form factor and powerful light output allows home-use solutions in a hand-held design.

• Laser diodes and packages: SemiNex provides varieties of laser wavelength, aperture size, cavity length, and packaging for engineering design freedom. Package options include chip-on-carrier, B/C mounts, TO cans with FAC (Fast-Axis Collimating) lens, and various fiber modules and systems. 

“We are excited to participate in CIOE and showcase our broad portfolio with best-in-class products.” says Mr. David Bean, the CEO and Founder of SemiNex. “Our local office in northern China (Liaoning) provides timely product and application support for customers in China and Asia Pacific.”

“To learn more about our laser diode portfolio, visit our Booth 2T006 in Hall 2.” says Ms. Hanyu Yang, Sales and Applications Engineer at SemiNex. “I look forward to working with our customers on various projects and applications.”  She can also be reached at hyang@seminex.com, Tel/WeChat: 15641953339.

SemiNex welcomes Daniel Chu with the best laser diode technologies 

SemiNex is pleased to announce the hiring of Daniel Chu to drive business growth across the full SemiNex portfolio of high power InP and GaSb semiconductor lasers for LiDAR, medical, military, and industrial markets. Educated as a laser physicist from Northwestern University with a PhD degree, Daniel has extensive experience in product management, applications engineering, and business creation. Daniel’s career spans over 25 years in the laser and optics industry with tenures at world-known companies such as OSRAM and SDL Inc.   

Daniel brings his technical laser expertise and market experience to assist customers in developing best-in-class laser systems.  As an example, Daniel leads the SemiNex commercial team in supporting customers to pursue long-range LiDAR with patent-pending Triple Junction laser diodes. This new technology at eye-safe 1550nm allows LiDAR manufacturers to achieve 3 times the distance and 24 times the detection probability compared to a 905nm emitter. Daniel developed a benchmark calculator based on LiDAR physics to deliver the target performance for high speed autonomous vehicles and works directly with LIDAR customers to optimize their LIDAR designs for both performance and cost.  

“Daniel has a strong knowledge in semiconductor lasers and extensive experience in the photonics industry. He will deliver the highest level of technical support and service to our customers for design wins.” says Mr. David Bean, CEO and Founder of SemiNex Corporation.  

“It is such an exciting time to join SemiNex”, Daniel comments “as we not just have the most powerful 1550nm laser diode for ToF LiDAR, but also SOAs for FMCW LiDAR and GaSb 1940nm laser for medical and many other applications. We offer unparalleled performance that no others can.” Daniel continues “I look forward to working with our customers in designing in our best product offerings as cost effective solutions.”  

Besides working at the SemiNex office near Boston, Daniel will also work closely with customers in Asia Pacific, where SemiNex established a regional office in the Chinese city of Liaoyang in 2020. Besides English, Daniel speaks Mandarin fluently and understands Cantonese and Taiwanese well. To learn more about SemiNex capabilities and product offering, contact Daniel at +1 978-326-7702 and dchu@seminex.com.  

Increases Power by More Than 50 Percent vs. Comparable Lasers on Market

Peabody, MA – Dec. 16th, 2020 – SemiNex announces its new Gallium Antimonide (GaSb) lasers in the 1900-2400nm range that provide 50% more power than comparable lasers on the market today. The new GaSb laser diodes achieve high power using a GaInAsSb/AlGaAsSb strained QW ridge waveguide technique grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on GaSb substrates. SemiNex’s 1940nm laser diode demonstrates high optical power of 1.5W and a low threshold current density of less than 100 A/cm2 at room temperature in continuous-wave (CW) conditions. GaSb laser diodes are prevalent in medical, material processing and gas sensing applications.

“The introduction of this new 1940nm laser diode will support our customers in the medical, material processing and gas sensing market with higher power diodes enabling smaller, more efficient, and more effective laser systems,” says Ed McIntyre, VP of Business Development at SemiNex.  

Medical Applications

Lasers at a 1900-2400nm wavelength play a crucial role in advanced medical procedures such as varicose veins, tonsillectomies and brain surgery.

In a varicose vein procedure, the laser light is absorbed in tissue at a precise target depth to close the vein from the inside quickly without pain. This allows for a shorter operation time with limited scarring.

In a tonsillectomy procedure, laser diodes with a 1940nm wavelength cut through the tissue with reduced pain and increased efficacy when compared to other methods such as electrocautery. 1940nm lasers have twice the absorption coefficient of a 1470nm laser and 100 times that of a 980nm laser; this helps to prevent the mass pooling of blood in procedures such as neurosurgery. In a brain procedure, 1940nm lasers are capable of vaporizing and coagulating tissue, helping to prevent further blood loss and speed up the repair of damaged tissue.      

In dentistry, GaSb lasers are used in place of radiographs to detect lesions on teeth which appear as pits and fissures, signs of early occlusal decay. This early find by the laser prevents the need for surgery.   

Material Processing

Lasers produced in the 2µm range find use in industrial applications such as the welding of transparent plastics. GaSb laser welders allow the welding of these plastics by focusing 1940nm light that is absorbed strongly by C-H bonds in the polymer. Many transparent plastics share similarities; these plastics can be absorbed adequately by laser light in the 1940-2400nm range permitting direct processing with the lasers. When compared to lasers operating at 1µm, absorption can only be accomplished through additives to the material resulting in a more complex process. Additional applications for material processing in the 1940nm range include the processing and fabrication of bio-fluidic chips, used for biological and medical mass-screening experiments.

“Our GaSb laser didoes in the 1900-2400nm range support businesses in medical, material processing, and gas sensing fields. We are excited to enable our medical systems customers to develop higher power systems that improve recovery times and minimize swelling and scarring with higher performance laser components. We also look forward to improving the performance in plastic welding and gas sensing applications by enabling higher powers and efficiency while reducing the system size and cost,” says David Bean, CEO of SemiNex Corporation.

Gas Sensing

Lasers with a 1900-2400nm spectral range can detect atmospheric gases such as H₂O, CO₂ and N₂O. Ammonia can be detected through the laser system by exploiting the specific absorption of the gas at a determined wavelength. Backscattered light at this wavelength is compared with the level of returned light at another wavelength to confirm the presence of the gas of interest while eliminating other potential contaminants.

SemiNex GaSb laser diodes at 1940nm are available for immediate delivery as bare chips and in TO9-can packages. Other packages at 1940nm are available upon request with reasonable lead times. Customer wavelengths from 1900-2400nm are available upon request. For more information contact SemiNex or your nearest SemiNex distributor.