A늌W

2009 Seminar

2009214(Stanford, CA)

Whats the future for the remaining optical coating companies?

 

Abstract At the end of last century and early this decade, internet and telecommunication boomed dramatically, and it pushed fiber optics and optical coating industry to a level no one has seen before. Just in Silicon Valley California alone, there were more than 30 optical coating companies were setup and making DWDM filters for telecom industry. , tons of money has dumped into the optical industry. Difficulty filters products have been made and the fiber optics boom has brought the optical coating technology and production to a very high level that people had dreamed for decades. DWDM coating machines were called golden chicken and they lay golden eggs ($$). However, those good times were only last about two years and those optical coating companies in the bay area either went bankrupt, moved away to overseas to the much lower cost region, sharply shrunk, or simply just disappeared.  Who is left, and what they are doing these days? Whats the future for the remaining coating companies. Ill discuss these topics in the talk.

Biography Dr. John Gao, the president and CEO of Silicon Valley Optics Technology Inc., -SVOTek. He has 15 years experience in the vacuum science, optics and thin film coatings industry. He was formerly the VP of Operations of Filteray Nano-optics Technology, Inc.; formerly Senior Director of Hoya Optics, Hoya USA; and he has been principle engineer, chief scientist, R&D manager for Seagate Technology, Hitachi USA and Hyundai (Maxtor/Maxmedia) Electronics in magnetic thin film related industry over 10 years.  Dr. Gao got his M.S. and Ph.D degrees from Kansas State University and University of Illinois, and then did two years doctoral research at University of Alabama.  He has published over 30 technical papers in various world-class scientific journals and magazines, and was an co-author of IEEE Encyclopedia 1999 (edited by John Webster published by Wiley & Sons). He holds 18 patents vacuum science, thin film technology.