The Innovate UK, LIFT grant has enabled Vector Photonics to develop an in-house, accelerated life testing (ALT) capability for its high-power PCSELs. The 1030nm PCSELs are being developed for next-generation, 3D metal printing as part of the BLOODLINE project; also funded by Innovate UK, but within the international Eureka project framework. Vector Photonics’ high-power PCSELs have a unique combination of increased power, reduced cost, and improved performance. This enables fast, high resolution, 3-D metal printing with less post-production finishing.
Dr. Calum Hill, Principal Development Engineer at Vector Photonics, who secured the LIFT grant, explains, “The LIFT grant, which is for £100,000, comes from Innovate UK’s resilience fund, helping companies recover from the impact of Covid. We have used it to fast-track the development of our own in-house, life test capability. By bringing this service in-house, we have helped accelerate the commercialisation of high-power PCSELs, as outsourcing often causes delays.”
The Bloodline project has linked Vector Photonics with a Japanese, epitaxy manufacturer for wafer supply; a group of leading, industrial equipment manufacturers for product assessment; and the UK’s Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult for other testing requirements.
