NeoPhotonics Corp of San Jose, CA, USA, a vertically integrated designer and manufacturer of both indium phosphide (InP) and silica-on-silicon photonic integrated circuit (PIC)-based modules and subsystems, has announced the first shipments of optical transceiver modules from its new, high-capacity factory in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China.

"This milestone represents our commitment to our customers for production capacity to support their increasing need for high-speed optical modules in the accelerating build out of broadband network infrastructure around the world," says chairman & CEO Tim Jenks. "Rapid growth in cloud computing, video and mobile applications is driving increased demand for optical modules in datacenter, 4G/LTE networks and FTTx deployments, both in established markets as well as emerging regions, such as the BRIC countries."

The new factory consists of about 80,000 square feet of production space, including about 50,000 square feet of cleanroom area. The production lines use manufacturing equipment for optical sub-assembly (OSA) fabrication and final module assembly and test. Modular work cells are designed to support rapid reconfiguration of production lines, which allows quick reaction to the changing needs in the dynamic market of optical modules for high-speed communications worldwide, the firm says.

NeoPhotonics' existing manufacturing capabilities include facilities in Shenzhen, China, in Tokyo, Japan, and in Silicon Valley, California.