Fujitsu, Mitsui launch optical device venture for quantum dot lasers

April 20, 2006 Tokyo, Japan -- Fujitsu and Mitsui have jointly established an optical device venture, named QD Laser, Inc. (QDL), leveraging venture capital funding from both companies in support of Fujitsu's quantum dot laser technology.

Quantum dots, from which the venture takes its name, are semiconductor particles that are a single nanometer (one billionth of a meter) in size. Quantum dots and technology utilizing quantum dots were developed through an academic-industrial research collaboration by Fujitsu Ltd., Fujitsu Laboratories, and Professor Yasuhiko Arakawa's laboratory at the University of Tokyo.

Quantum dot lasers, which use this technology, are revolutionary lasers that the companies say are significantly superior to conventional semiconductor lasers in that they feature higher performance in such aspects as temperature-independent operation, low power consumption, long-distance transmission, and high speed. The companies anticipate that quantum dot lasers will become a core technology to realize high-performance light sources for optical telecommunications.

Utilizing quantum dot semiconductor crystallization technology developed by Fujitsu, as well as laser design and process technologies, QDL will offer quantum dot lasers to the market for optical telecommunications light sources for use in optical access and optical LAN applications within buildings. QDL says it aims to leverage the superior performance of its technologies to expand its market share and become an industry leader.

By achieving commercialization of its quantum dot laser technology through the growth of QDL, Fujitsu expects that, in addition to its current competitive share of the optical transmission device markets in the U.S. and in Japan, it will also be able to enhance its competitiveness in the optical access market, for which the company anticipates a "full-fledged" global expansion. In addition to providing technical support through joint research, Fujitsu will also offer business management support to the new company. Fujitsu's capital investment to QDL will be made through a corporate venture capital fund managed by Fujitsu.

For its part, through Mitsui Ventures, a fund managed by its wholly-owned subsidiary, MVC Corp., headquartered in Tokyo, Mitsui says it has made equity investments to support the start-up company in various ways from a global perspective. Mitsui's equity investment in QDL will be made from Mitsui's principal funds that are managed by Mitsui Ventures. In addition to supporting QDL through strategy planning, operational management, capitalization and fund-raising strategy, Mitsui Ventures says it will also support global marketing of QDL's technologies, enhancing growth and expansion of the new venture.