News: Suppliers
13 August 2025
AOI chooses ClassOne’s Solstice S8 system for gold plating and metal lift-off on InP
ClassOne Technology of Kalispell, MT, USA (which manufactures electroplating and wet-chemical process systems for ≤200mm wafers) is providing its Solstice S8 single-wafer processing system to Applied Optoelectronics Inc (AOI) of Sugar Land, TX, USA, a designer and manufacturer of optical components, modules and equipment for fiber access networks in the Internet data-center, cable TV broadband, fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and telecom markets. The system will further strengthen AOI’s capabilities for producing optoelectronic components that power high-speed data and communications infrastructure.
Optimized to address increased demand from AOI’s artificial intelligence (AI) data-center customers, the fully automated Solstice S8 will be configured for gold (Au) electroplating and single-wafer metal lift-off (MLO) processes on 3- and 4-inch indium phosphide (InP) substrates as a base for growing optoelectronic devices such as laser diodes and optical transceivers.
As generative AI and high-speed data processing drive exponential growth in optical interconnect requirements, AOI is scaling its production to meet market needs. “The rapid ramp in demand from AI-driven data centers has made it essential for us to scale production efficiently while maintaining the highest possible device performance,” says Stephen Hu, deputy director of wafer and chip production at AOI. “ClassOne’s Solstice S8 offers both the throughput and the process uniformity we need to support this growth with confidence,” he adds.
“The Solstice S8 is engineered for high-volume compound semiconductor processing, and its flexibility and automation make it ideal for critical steps like gold plating and metal lift-off on InP substrates,” says ClassOne’s CEO Byron Exarcos.
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