ECE alumni lead major expansion of EpiWorks in Champaign

The II-VI EpiWorks Division of II‐VI Incorporated, founded by ECE ILLINOIS alumni Quesnell Hartmann (PhD '98) and David Ahmari (PhD '98), announced that it is breaking ground on a state-of-the-art production facility in Champaign, Illinois.  

The expansion is expected to be complete by mid-2017 and will enable a quadrupling of capacity in Champaign over the next three years. In addition to substantial epitaxial wafer production space, the new cleanroom will house a state-of-the-art wafer characterization and test laboratory. To operate the new facility, EpiWorks is actively recruiting experienced managers, engineers and technicians. This aggressive expansion enhances EpiWorks’ leadership position in the global compound semiconductor industry, supporting the performance and volume requirements for several key components that enable multiple growing markets. These include InP and GaAs-based optoelectronic communication components for cloud computing and datacenters, VCSELs for 3D sensing and next generation wide bandgap devices for 5G wireless infrastructure.

“High-performance compound semiconductors are required to meet the performance needs of modern communication networks, sensors, smartphones, wireless communications networks, and datacenters. Our technology is being adopted in many applications, and we are ensuring that our capacity continues to meet customer demand now and in the future,” said Giovanni Barbarossa, Chief Technology Officer and President of the Laser Solutions Segment. “The new capacity will support our RF and photonics businesses, and we will have more resources to research and develop new materials and products.”

“Immediately after merging with II-VI in February, we ordered three new MOCVD production tools and filled our current cleanroom space. These systems have already been installed, and we have now moved into the next phase of growth by expanding our cleanroom space, launching an aggressive hiring plan, and working to build the industry’s most technologically advanced and efficient manufacturing line.” said Hartmann and Ahmari.

“It is great to see EpiWorks continue to grow and create jobs in Illinois,” state Governor Bruce Rauner said. “This company has a strong Illinois history, having been founded by University of Illinois alumni. EpiWorks’ success in Illinois is a testament to our state’s research universities, the ingenuity of our workforce, and the innovative community in Champaign Urbana. We hope to continue to be a partner with them to help grow their business within our borders and build upon this success.”

The original press release was shared on the EpiWorks website and by the Wall Street Journal.