Fabrinet began manufacturing lasers for optical communications applications in the year 2000, focusing primarily on 2.5Gb/s lasers typically used in transceivers serving telecom applications. This type of laser manufacturing, which requires extreme wavelength precision control, leveraged the existing optical communication equipment and manufacturing experience at Fabrinet. Today, Fabrinet also manufactures all form factors of transceivers, including TOSA and ROSA processes, from 2.5 to 10Gb/s lasers.
While 40G, even 100Gb/s lasers have received much media attention, Dr. Harpal Gill, Fabrinet’s Chief Operating Officer, believes the market will move slowly toward their adoption. “Japanese companies are starting to pay attention to 40G technology,” said Dr. Harpal Gill . “It’s an indicator that the market is maturing. But it’s not here yet.”
When that day comes, Fabrinet will be ready. Its experiences in manufacturing 10Gb/s technology is applicable to 40G based on the way 40G is evolving – primarily through multiplexing multiple 10G systems. “It’s a natural expansion and adaptation of our existing skill set,” said Dr. Harpal Gill.
More recently, as Fabrinet has diversified into opto-electronic manufacturing for medical and industrial applications, it has also expanded its manufacturing operations to support solid state and gas laser development. Fabrinet now manufactures, for example, high power 30 watt CO2, argon, HeNe and other types of industrial lasers. Unlike the telecom lasers which require lower power and produce smaller heat, industrial lasers require significant power and produce an enormous amount of heat. – requiring sophisticated thermal heat management expertise along with a whole new range of safety protocols. “We already understood high frequency management and precision alignment, which are extraordinarily difficult technologies to master,” said Dr. Harpal Gill. “We have since expanded our infrastructure to support the additional heat and safety requirements of industrial lasers, including the sourcing and management of exotic materials. Very few contract manufacturers can offer the depth of experience and mastery over the complex, specific processes required for the laser processing that we provide here, in-house, at Fabrinet. Our experience and ability make the transfer process much more straightforward.”
Manufacturing of industrial gas laser products requires a multitude of specialized processes. Procurement, inspection and storage of exotic materials; assembly of challenging electro-optical assemblies; careful application of high-voltage and RF-driven test steps are all a part of daily production. Significant training and continuing education insure that established processes generate products that meet our customer’s demanding performance requirements.
Once a process has been successfully transferred, customers have the ongoing benefit of Fabrinet’s continual improvement program, leveraging supply chain efficiency and manufacturing optimization to reduce scrap and improve yield.
Product photographs courtesy of JDS Uniphase Corporation
While 40G, even 100Gb/s lasers have received much media attention, Dr. Harpal Gill, Fabrinet’s Chief Operating Officer, believes the market will move slowly toward their adoption. “Japanese companies are starting to pay attention to 40G technology,” said Dr. Harpal Gill . “It’s an indicator that the market is maturing. But it’s not here yet.” 
the additional heat and safety requirements of industrial lasers, including the sourcing and management of exotic materials. Very few contract manufacturers can offer the depth of experience and mastery over the complex, specific processes required for the laser processing that we provide here, in-house, at Fabrinet. Our experience and ability make the transfer process much more straightforward.”