German photonics manufacturer Innolume has ordered a GEN2000® Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) system from Veeco Instruments Inc. (NASDAQ: VECO) to scale production of gallium arsenide (GaAs)-based quantum dot (QD) lasers. Operating a vertically integrated manufacturing campus in Dortmund, Germany, Innolume is expanding its 6-inch epitaxy and wafer processing capacity to supply QD lasers, comb lasers, distributed feedback (DFB) lasers, and semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). These devices serve as optical interconnects, co-packaged optics (CPO), and light sources for AI infrastructure, cloud data centers, and silicon photonics.
Scaling Epitaxy and Facet Coating for Co-Packaged Optics
Quantum dot lasers offer narrower spectral linewidths, lower threshold currents, and higher thermal stability than traditional quantum well lasers. These properties make QD lasers suitable for Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) architectures, where light sources must operate close to high-power AI accelerators and switch ASICs under demanding thermal conditions.
Innolume’s equipment order covers two critical manufacturing steps:
- Epitaxial Wafer Growth (Veeco GEN2000 MBE): Expands the controlled growth of high-density GaAs quantum dot layers, improving wafer throughput and batch-to-batch material uniformity.
- Facet Coating Capabilities (Veeco SPECTOR IBD): Adds Veeco’s SPECTOR® Ion Beam Deposition system to enhance in-house application of anti-reflection (AR) and high-reflection (HR) coatings directly onto laser facets.
Multi-Vendor Manufacturing Expansion Roadmap
The Veeco GEN2000 installation aligns with Innolume’s broader capacity expansion in Dortmund. In parallel, the company is preparing its cleanrooms for two Riber MBE6000 production reactors, scheduled for commissioning in Q4 2026. By deploying both Veeco and Riber MBE systems, Innolume is scaling its 6-inch GaAs production capacity while diversifying its capital equipment base. This expansion aims to meet projected demand from hyperscale data center operators, where market research firm LightCounting projects sales of optical transceivers for AI infrastructure will approach $80 billion by 2031.
Review the official corporate release on Innolume here, and examine equipment specifications on Veeco here.
July 22, 2026
