News: Suppliers
6 May 2026
Veeco receives $250m+ in equipment orders for manufacturing InP lasers
Epitaxial deposition and process equipment maker Veeco Instruments Inc of Plainview, NY, USA has received orders totaling more than $250m from multiple customers for its Spector ion beam deposition (IBD), Lumina metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and its WaferEtch wet processing systems. Driven by momentum in silicon photonics, these orders support the manufacturing of indium phosphide (InP) lasers, with deliveries beginning in 2026 and significantly accelerating in 2027.
A substantial portion of the orders is for the Spector IBD from leading manufacturers of 800G and 1.6T optical transceivers for hyperscale data centers. The system is used to deposit high-performance, low-absorption laser facet coatings that are required for high-power laser operation. Veeco says that this strong order activity underscores the long-term value of its ion beam deposition technology and the firm’s expanding role in this rapidly growing market.
As AI infrastructure scales, power and thermal constraints are becoming critical, accelerating the shift from copper to optical interconnects at higher data rates. According to market analyst firm LightCounting, sales of optical interconnects are expected to grow significantly as demand for 800G and 1.6T transceivers accelerates. Recent industry commentary has highlighted InP laser manufacturing as a key bottleneck, driven by limited qualified capacity and complex process integration. Veeco says that its broad portfolio of compound semiconductor process technologies positions it to support customers as they expand high-volume manufacturing.
“Veeco’s differentiated portfolio of ion beam, MOCVD and wet processing technologies enables our customers to scale up advanced InP laser production with high performance, yield and reliability,” says senior VP Adrian Devasahayam. “These orders reflect the strength of our long-standing customer partnerships, many spanning more than two decades, and our ability to support the evolving requirements of silicon photonics and the optical interconnect market.”
Veeco says that its Spector IBD system delivers ultra-dense, low-loss optical films with precise control over thickness and reflectivity required by advanced InP lasers. The Lumina MOCVD platform, underpinned by its TurboDisc reactor technology, supports high-volume InP epitaxy with what is claimed to be excellent uniformity, low defectivity and superior productivity. The WaferEtch platform was selected for its best-in-class process, device-to-device repeatability, system flexibility and exceptional productivity, says Veeco.
Veeco books multi-system Lumina and Spector orders for InP datacom laser manufacturing
