Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (AOI) develops and manufactures advanced
semiconductor laser transmitters and receivers. These products are used in the
Fiber to the Home, telecommunications, wireless, and cable television (CATV)
industries, as well as for spectroscopy and other industrial applications.
AOI's products strike a balance between price and performance that is attractive
to equipment manufactures and their customers. AOI achieves this balance by
developing innovative laser and detector technologies. With its team of leading
researchers, AOI has assembled a pool of talent to develop these technologies
and has made significant advances in manufacture of these advanced devices.
AOI was founded in February 1997 with the goal of providing high-quality
leading-edge semiconductor component solutions. The company’s work helped
redefine the infrared laser landscape and was so outstanding that it was named
the Sensors and Instrumentation Technology of the Year 2000 by NASA Tech Briefs
magazine.
In 2000, the company constructed a state-of-the-art semiconductor manufacturing
facility in Sugar Land, Texas, near Houston. This 24,000 sq. ft (2230 sq. meter)
manufacturing facility consolidated the company's administrative offices,
laboratories and production lines in one location.
In 2002, an independent third-party auditor certified that AOI's quality
management system met the rigorous ISO 9001:2000 standard. Meeting this
international standard confirmed AOI's commitment to designing and manufacturing
consistent, quality products.
AOI has developed three areas of distinction that set the company apart from its
competitors: a high-quality team, outstanding facilities, and unique experience
in design, materials, processing and packaging.
AOI has assembled a world-class team of optoelectronics researchers and
engineers. Led by CEO and President Thompson Lin, Ph.D., the company’s talent
pool stretches from component design through final testing. It has particularly
strong depth in III-V material growth via molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and wafer
processing and packaging technologies: areas that are particularly problematic
for laser developers.
AOI has also worked hard to assemble the necessary tools for its team. The
company's headquarters houses state-of-the-art equipment which allow
vertically-integrated production by combining design, wafer growth, processing,
packaging, and testing, leading to a complete source for cutting-edge
semiconductor component manufacture. The facilities also allow the company to
rapidly develop new solutions for customer demands, enhancing the ability of its
customers to hasten time to market for their new products.