IQE, the AIM-listed compound semiconductor wafer supplier, has signed a purchase agreement with Quintessent to supply Quantum Dot Laser (QDL) epitaxy as the US firm's technology moves into customer sampling.
The deal extends a relationship that began with an initial strategic announcement and purchase order in January 2025.
IQE will supply 6-inch Gallium Arsenide epiwafers through its foundry-ready service, supporting Quintessent's push towards commercial deployment and production introductions.
Quintessent, based in Santa Barbara, California, develops optical interconnect technology for AI data centres, aiming to offer lower power consumption, simpler manufacturing and improved reliability than traditional lasers.
IQE and Quintessent have worked together for more than a decade to move QDL technology from research into large-scale production, having previously announced a partnership to build what they described as the world's first large-scale QDL epitaxial wafer supply chain.
Jutta Meier, chief executive of IQE, said the company was "ideally positioned to support the scaling of multiple complementary optical interconnect technologies that are enabling the AI revolution."
Alan Liu, chief executive and co-founder of Quintessent, said the next phase of AI infrastructure buildout "will require deep technology and supply-chain partnerships to address the scale required in the AI ecosystem."
The agreement does not disclose contract value or volume commitments, with the immediate focus on supporting customer sampling as Quintessent's QDL architecture advances toward wider market adoption.
