In September 2010, ODIS received a development contract with the Navy Air Warfare Center that will involve a Phase I Award of $150,000 to develop optical code division multiple access (OCDMA) technology for future avionics systems. In January 2011, ODIS was awarded a development contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (‘NASA’) that will involve a Phase I Award of $100,000 to develop Optoelectronic infrastructure of RF/Optical phased arrays.
Leon M. Pierhal, President of ODIS, explains, ‘Although ODIS has a history of having successfully received SBIR (‘Small Business Innovation Research’) awards for many years, we believe these most recent Navy and NASA awards are important because they go a long way to indicate that various departments within the U.S. Government consider the POET process integral to meeting their future needs.’
‘Commercial applications could eventually be brought to bear when the device is completed for NASA,’ Pierhal continued. ‘Compact electronically scanned phased array sensors with combined RF and optical emissions have significant commercial potential in the security, aviation and free space optics communication markets. These are active sensors which complement the traditional infrared and visible imagers.’
POET (PlanarOptoElectric Technology) is ODIS’ new and patented semiconductor fabrication process. The heart of POET is a unique and patented Group III-V materials system that supports monolithic fabrication of ICs containing active and passive optical elements, together with high-performance analog and digital elements. For the first time, an economical integration of many optical devices together with dense, high-speed analog and high-speed, low-power digital elements are possible in monolithic ICs.
POET allows ODIS to fundamentally alter the landscape for a broad range of applications by offering components with dramatically lowered cost together with increased speed, density, and reliability.
With operations headquartered in Shelton, CT and the head office in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, OPEL designs, manufactures and markets high performance concentrating photovoltaic (‘HCPV’) panels to transform solar energy into electricity for worldwide application. OPEL’s high performance photovoltaic concentrating panels generate up to 40% more kilowatt-hours than conventional flat plate silicon solar panels, resulting in cost effective electricity generated from the sun. OPEL also markets a complete line of utility scale dual and single axis solar tracker systems and unique light weight rooftop tracker systems.
A leader in gallium arsenide and solar concentrating photovoltaic technology, the Company has been awarded 33 patents and has 17 more patents pending. A significant number of the patents relate the Company’s solar product offering, while the others are related to ODIS’ POET related products.
OPEL’s common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol ‘OPL’. For more information about OPEL, please visit the Company’s website at www.opelinc.com.
ODIS Inc. is a United States company incorporated in the State of Delaware and headquartered in Shelton, Connecticut, with an office in Rhode Island and its Research and Development facilities located on the campus of the University of Connecticut. ODIS designs communications transceivers, optoelectronic integrated platforms and infrared sensor type products for military, consumer, industrial and commercial applications.
