[MEMS-Business] Xponent Ramps to Meet Demand by Outsourcing Silicon Wafer Fabrication to IMT

[Chi, Ted]

Xponent Ramps to Meet Demand by Outsourcing Silicon Wafer Fabrication to
IMT

Monrovia, CA, March 7, 2006 --- Xponent Photonics, the leading
technology innovator of FTTx optical components, announced today that it
has begun producing production volumes of Silicon Planar Lightwave
Circuits (PLCs) at Innovative Micro Technology (IMT). IMT will produce
the entire palette of PLCs, microfilters and support chips at its
state-of-the-art MEMs fabrication facilities in Santa Barbara, CA. 

"This announcement is the culmination of nearly a year's worth of effort
to put Xponent's Surface Mount Photonic platform into a merchant silicon
foundry," said Jeffrey S. Rittichier, Xponent President and CEO.  "IMT
is one of the leading producers of MEMS Silicon and is ideally suited to
manufacturing our product and for handling our anticipated large
production volumes. The move to 6" wafers will significantly increase
our capacity, reduce our fixed costs and allow us to extend our
leadership position in PLC-based optical components.

"We are thrilled to have Xponent as a customer," remarked John Foster,
President and CEO of IMT.  "Xponent's leading edge PLC technology is a
perfect fit for our capabilities, and they require a manufacturing
partner with IMT's skill set and fab capacity to support their growth.
We are looking forward to working with Xponent to supply the telecom
industry."

About Xponent Photonics
Xponent is the innovator of Surface Mount Photonics, the building blocks
for a range of optical assemblies. Surface Mount Photonics dramatically
reduces the cost and complexity of optical devices while providing
industry-leading specifications for reach, thermal performance,
reliability, power consumption and footprint. For more information,
visit www.xponentinc.com.

Media contact: Susan Tatum, statum at xponentinc.com. 

About Innovative Micro Technology
IMT was formed in 2000, specifically to produce MEMS
(micro-electromechanical systems) devices. IMT's overriding goal is to
partner with companies to develop products based on MEMS technology. Its
130,000 sq ft facility contains a 30,000 sq ft clean room/fab, the
largest and best-equipped independent MEMS fab in the world. The company
was built for high-volume manufacturing, and provides full foundry
services from design through production. IMT currently has >150
employees and >20 customers in diverse applications, including drug
discovery, drug delivery, biomedical implants and cell purifiers,
microfluidics, inertial navigation, printing, various sensors, night
vision, IR emitters, telephone/DSL switching, RF devices, power
management, and several others. www.imtmems.com

Media Contact:  Monte Heaton, phone (805) 681-2852; fax (805) 967-2677,
email monte at imtmems.com
 
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