Intel announced at last month's NFOEC in Dallas, that it was acquiring a technology division of Sparkolor, the tunable networking component and module developer.

The deal includes planar hybrid integration (PHI) technology and key personnel, which are being transferred from Sparkolor's facility in Santa Clara, CA to Intel's Photonic Technology Operation in San Jose, CA, USA. Other assets, including sales and marketing staff, are not included.

Sparkolor's believes that its PHI technology lowers the cost and increases the functionality of optical components by enabling multiple functions to be combined automatically onto one chip.

This, in turn, allows the performance of optical chips to approach the cost efficiencies of electronic integrated circuits.

PHI allows various materials, such as silica, InP and polymers, to be combined onto one silicon chip, so best-of-breed characteristics for each material can be combined into one compact and highly functional chip.