These five major "bottleneck-breaking" projects span key industrial sectors in Wuhan, including optical communications, integrated circuits, optoelectronics, life sciences, and gene therapy. Among them, the project titled "Core Technology Breakthrough and Industrialization Research on High-Speed Optical Communication Semiconductor Laser Chip" aims to address quality stability issues during the mass production of 25Gb/s DFB chips and 56Gb/s EML chips. This initiative seeks to overcome the critical dependency on foreign suppliers for high-end optical chips, thereby strengthening and expanding Wuhan's optical communication industry. The project has been allocated a funding of 30 million yuan.
*Image source: Alliance partner Changguang Huaxin*
Another significant project, "Key Manufacturing Process Technology for 12-Inch RF-SOI Chips," is crucial for the integrated circuit industry. It will enable the development of chips tailored to meet the demands of RF front-end applications, helping establish an independent and controllable supply chain for RF chips. This breakthrough is expected to fill the current gap in China's production of 12-inch RF front-end chips, driving rapid growth in Wuhan's mobile terminal industry. The project is also backed by a budget of 30 million yuan.
Fiber lasers, positioned in the midstream of the laser industry chain, play a pivotal role in boosting downstream sectors such as laser-based manufacturing equipment, as well as high-tech industries like automotive, electronics, machinery, and new energy. The recently announced project, "Key Technologies for 100kW Ultra-High-Power Fiber Lasers," is set to close the domestic gap in 100kW ultra-high-power fiber laser technology, addressing a major bottleneck that has hindered the growth of Wuhan's laser industry. Like the other projects, this initiative is funded with 30 million yuan.
The project "Key Technology Development and Product R&D for Antibodies and Molecular Enzymes," with a budget of 15 million yuan, focuses on achieving breakthroughs in critical technologies to gradually replace imported products. This effort will further solidify Wuhan's leading position in the life science tools industry.
Meanwhile, the "Gene Therapy Key Technology Breakthrough and Product R&D" project, backed by a substantial 30 million yuan, targets the development of innovative solutions for gene therapies aimed at treating cancers and genetic disorders. The project will focus on discovering novel gene therapy targets, advancing cutting-edge technologies such as in vivo cell transgenesis and gene editing, and creating groundbreaking gene therapy tools along with companion diagnostic products. Additionally, it will explore comprehensive strategies to ensure the safety and manage potential risks associated with gene therapies. This initiative holds immense significance for Wuhan's ambitious goal of building a trillion-yuan-scale biohealth and biotechnology industry.
Notably, these major projects will adopt a collaborative research mechanism characterized by "market orientation, enterprise leadership, and integrated industry-academia-research-application efforts." Each project will implement end-to-end, holistic research initiatives, with participating organizations required to match at least two-thirds of the city’s allocated R&D funds.
Wuhan City has emphasized that its next step will be to concentrate on emerging areas such as 3D storage chips, silicon photonics chips, next-generation display materials, and advanced medical imaging equipment—deploying a "challenge-based recruitment" approach to tackle key technological challenges. At the same time, the city will proactively invest in future-oriented fields like quantum information, bio-breeding, brain science, cutting-edge materials, and aerospace technologies. By fostering innovation in foundational and disruptive technologies common across industries, Wuhan aims to accelerate the creation of first-mover advantages and secure a leading edge in tomorrow's critical industries.
Source: Hubei Daily
In fields as diverse as automotive, robotics, and energy—ranging from everyday appliances like refrigerators to advanced applications such as artificial satellites navigating the cosmos—heat exchangers are essential components. Yet, despite their widespread use, these compact devices often fail to help products achieve significantly lower energy consumption. While 3D printing has shown promise in addressing some of these energy-efficiency challenges, large-scale production remains a distant goal for now.
Recently, ValCUN, a Belgian additive manufacturing company, secured €1.5 million in project funding to develop an energy-efficient metal 3D printer. This breakthrough could potentially revolutionize manufacturing by drastically cutting down on energy costs during the production process.
Although ValCUN is still tight-lipped about the precise mechanisms behind its innovative process, the technology fundamentally revolves around a unique, laser-based alternative for delivering thermal input. By replacing traditional lasers with more efficient energy sources, this new system promises substantial cost savings for users while also delivering notable environmental benefits.
ValCUN’s prototype heating process also eliminates any strict requirements for the shape of filler materials, making it compatible with metal wires, granules, and even recycled raw materials. This flexibility not only accelerates manufacturers' product development workflows but also enables the reuse of defective parts—allowing alloys from flawed components to be repurposed in future print jobs.
Building on these efficiency advantages, the startup believes its system is well-positioned to meet the growing demand for medium-sized parts, such as manifolds and structural frameworks. Moreover, by making metal 3D printing more "accessible and economically competitive," ValCUN aims to attract manufacturers from capital-intensive industries to adopt the technology.
Jonas Galle, CEO and co-founder of the company, successfully patented the technology at the end of 2020 and is now actively expanding the business while taking steps toward commercialization. Although ValCUN hasn’t disclosed details about its potential partners, the company notes that ongoing exploratory testing will focus on fine-tuning the prototype to align with the specific needs of customers operating in its target application areas.
ValCUN sees its technology as ideally suited for producing near-final-shaped objects, heat exchangers, high-density battery components, or even critical elements for IT data centers. With this vision in mind, the company is ambitiously targeting forward-thinking clients like Google and Tesla. To accelerate its next phase of growth, ValCUN is now actively recruiting engineers to join its expanding team.
Source: ZOL
Additive manufacturing (AM) offers inherent flexibility and advantages over traditional manufacturing methods, enabling the production of complex, high-performance products. By 2020, the global potential annual market value of additive manufacturing technologies was projected to reach $21 billion, with 48.4% of this revenue expected to come from high-value manufacturing applications in industries such as aerospace, automotive, and healthcare. Many of these applications involve critical components related to functionality and safety—such as turbine blades used in jet engines or bone implants designed for human bodies.
The rapid adoption of additive manufacturing technologies has also made it increasingly challenging to combat counterfeit products. With counterfeiters now equipped with affordable 3D printers capable of replicating even intricate designs, they can easily and quickly produce fake items by either downloading 3D models online or obtaining them through reverse engineering. According to a database report by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), between 2010 and 2017, there were 20 reported incidents of aircraft crashes caused by counterfeit parts. Meanwhile, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) documented 135 cases of substandard aviation components discovered in aircraft between 2011 and 2016. In the automotive industry, the problem of counterfeiting is even more severe: the World Customs Organization, in collaboration with Interpol, estimates that the global market for counterfeit auto parts is worth approximately $12 billion annually, while the U.S. auto parts industry loses an estimated $3 billion in sales due to counterfeit goods.
Currently, existing metal additive manufacturing techniques—such as powder bed fusion and directed energy deposition—face significant technical limitations when it comes to embedding high-resolution security features. This makes developing a high-resolution, multi-metal additive manufacturing technology capable of incorporating traceable codes essential for combating counterfeiting efforts.
In this study, the primary materials used were spherical 316L stainless steel powders ranging from 10 to 45 microns in diameter, provided by LPW Technology Ltd. in the UK (Figure 1a), along with Cu10Sn powders (Makin Metal Powders Ltd., UK, Figure 1b), which served as the security marking material. Both Cu10Sn and 316L exhibit distinct thermal properties and densities, making them likely to produce markedly different infrared spectra, X-ray fluorescence signatures, and X-ray imaging characteristics. Notably, since 316L does not contain copper or tin in its chemical composition, the embedded features should be easier to detect using X-ray fluorescence analysis.
*SEM images of the powders used: a) 316L powder, b) Cu10Sn powder*
Experiments were conducted using a multi-material SLM system designed at the University of Manchester, as illustrated in Figure 2.
*Schematic diagram of the experimental setup*
The process flow, depicted in Figure 3, begins with spreading a thin layer of the primary material—316L—followed by selective laser melting of the powder in the designated areas. Next, any unfused powder surrounding the QR code pattern is carefully removed using a micro-vacuum cleaner, creating a flat, hollow cavity precisely shaped according to the design. The secondary material—Cu10Sn—is then deposited into this hollow QR code structure and subsequently melted by the laser beam. To prevent contamination of the primary material by the secondary powder, the laser-melted QR code area is thoroughly cleaned again using the micro-vacuum system. Finally, the build platform descends by a predefined single-layer distance, and the process is repeated until the 3D component is fully formed.
*Process flowchart for embedding security features into metal parts using multi-material SLM*
The embedded QR code printing process was recorded via CCD imaging, with each step—from (a) to (g)—illustrated in Figure 3.
As shown in Figure 5a, a specialized QR code was designed, with the QR code itself (in red) and its surrounding elements (in blue) fabricated from Cu10Sn and 316L, respectively. The code encodes the message "University of Manchester LPRC." In Sample A, the QR code is fully exposed on the top surface. In Sample B, two-thirds of the code are covered by a 1-mm-thick layer of 316L. Meanwhile, in Sample C, the entire embedded QR code (see Figure 5c) is concealed beneath a 2-mm-thick 316L layer. Notably, all three samples feature QR codes with a uniform thickness of 0.5 mm.
*Illustrations of QR code samples A, B, and C (a–c), along with a schematic of the label ring adhered to a 304 stainless steel substrate, where X-rays are emitted from the bottom of the substrate (d).*
Surface heating of the samples was achieved through radiative heat transfer. Heat transfer between the 316L portion of the QR code and the substrate occurred primarily via conduction. During the heating phase, the initial sample temperature was set at 15°C, while the furnace maintained a target temperature of 120°C. Cooling, on the other hand, took place through both convection and radiation. After removal from the furnace, the samples were allowed to cool naturally in a standard indoor environment, where the ambient temperature remained constant at 15°C.
As heating time progressed, the temperature distribution across both the exposed QR code and the partially covered QR code is illustrated in Figures 7a and 7b. For the QR code fully exposed on the surface, the 316L component reached a maximum temperature of 51°C, while the Cu10Sn QR code registered 35°C after 10 minutes of heating, allowing the QR code to remain clearly distinguishable. In contrast, no significant temperature differences were observed between the Cu10Sn QR code and the surrounding 316L material in the other samples until the heating duration extended to one hour, as shown in Figure 7b.Figure 6. (a) and (b) show the simulated temperature distribution over time for an exposed QR code and a partially covered QR code, respectively.
As time progresses, the temperature difference between the Cu10Sn and 316L sections decreases, leading to reduced image contrast. Figure 9(b) illustrates the temperature distribution of the partially covered QR code at 20-minute intervals. The temperature difference caused by the buried QR code becomes unrecognizable.
Figure 8. Simulated temperature distributions of the QR code samples as cooling time increases: (a) exposed QR code, (b) partially covered QR code.
Under fixed material composition and X-ray incidence intensity, the resolution of X-ray imaging is expected to be influenced by the total thickness of the X-ray inspection area containing the marked features. This resolution will decrease exponentially as the depth of the covering layer increases. Therefore, selecting heavier metals for the marking material and increasing the thickness of the markers can help enhance X-ray imaging contrast.
The X-ray images (Figure 9b) clearly reveal the QR code on the top surface of Sample A. Materials with lower density—meaning fewer atoms per unit volume—are more transparent to X-rays, resulting in brighter images. Since the densities of 316L and Cu10Sn are 8.00 g/cm³ and 8.78 g/cm³, respectively, the 316L material appears lighter in color compared to Cu10Sn, as shown in Figure 9(b).
Figure 9. (a) and (c) present optical images of Samples A and C, while (b) and (d) display top-down digital X-ray images of the same samples.
To further investigate how embedding depth affects QR code recognition, Samples A and C were scanned from top to bottom with the QR code covering layer set at 15.0 mm. Due to limitations in the penetration depth of the digital X-ray system, we employed the conventional radiographic film method instead, which offers significantly greater photon penetration but results in lower image resolution compared to digital X-ray imaging. Notably, when viewed from above, clear QR code outlines remained visible on both Sample A and Sample C, as depicted in Figure 10. However, there was a noticeable difference in X-ray images taken from the top versus those from the bottom—specifically, the sample with the 15 mm covering layer exhibited poorer contrast. Despite this, the overall QR code imaging resolution was not compromised.
Source: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2018.09.003
Photonics devices have now become ubiquitous worldwide, ranging from handheld and wearable displays to communication and computing systems. Essential materials for manufacturing photonic components include transparent materials such as glass, polymers, and crystals—materials that typically need to exhibit broad-spectrum transparency, stability, and versatility in composition. Focused ultrashort laser pulses can induce nonlinear absorption effects within these transparent materials, enabling precise micromachining both on their surfaces and deep inside.
This technique, known as ultrashort laser micromachining, has already found a wide array of applications, including direct writing of features like cuts, micro-holes, waveguide couplers, and splitters; creating optical dynamic memories; and even advanced bonding or joining techniques at interfaces between glass and glass, glass and metal, or glass and ceramics.
The interaction between ultrashort laser pulses and materials holds immense potential for both material processing and micromachining. In ultrashort pulses, the concentrated light energy delivered over an extremely brief timespan results in exceptionally high peak power levels. Compared to continuous-wave or long-pulse lasers, ultrashort lasers offer several key advantages in micromachining: they enable the creation of intricate microstructures with minimal collateral damage to the surrounding environment, produce clean, pristine machining surfaces, generate small heat-affected zones (HAZ), preserve the intrinsic properties of the material, and allow for the fabrication of both surface-ablated and internally modified structures within transparent materials.
Ultrashort laser micromachining is rapidly emerging as a dynamic and expanding field within laser-based applications. Because the process relies on nonlinear absorption rather than linear absorption based on laser wavelength, virtually any dielectric, metal, or mechanically robust material can be processed using the same laser beam—enabling both surface ablation and internal structural modifications.
Ultrashort lasers are highly versatile tools for micromachining a diverse range of materials, including metals, polymers, semiconductors, and transparent substances. However, the specific properties of each material—particularly its optical and thermal characteristics—demand careful selection of appropriate laser parameters to achieve optimal results. To successfully perform ultrashort laser micromachining on a given material, it’s crucial to fine-tune critical laser operation settings, such as laser wavelength, repetition rate, pulse energy, scanning speed, pulse duration, polarization, beam spot size, and beam quality. The following images illustrate how these laser parameters influence the precision and outcomes of micromachining transparent materials.
**Figure 1:** Laser fluence (with pulse energy indicated in parentheses) varied as follows: (a) 12.1 J/cm² (170 μJ); (b) 12.9 J/cm² (180 μJ); (c) 15.0 J/cm² (210 μJ).
**Figure 2:** SEM micrographs revealing debris both inside and outside the craters and fragments left behind after laser drilling and cutting operations.
**Figure 3:** A SEM image showing a 50-micron-thick cut created in borosilicate glass using a 10-ps laser pulse at a wavelength of 515 nm, delivered over 10 passes.
**Figure 4:** SEM images of laser-generated grooves, highlighting how strain significantly impacts the quality of laser-machined structures.
A standout feature of ultrashort laser pulse micromachining is its ability to perform internal structuring within transparent materials. When near-infrared ultrashort laser pulses are focused into the bulk of glass, the intensity at the focal point becomes sufficiently high to trigger nonlinear absorption, leading to localized alterations in the glass structure directly at the focal volume (as illustrated below).
Micromachining technologies utilizing ultrashort laser pulses have been widely adopted for fabricating photonic devices within transparent materials. By precisely scanning the focus of an ultrashort laser through various types of glass, this approach enables the integration of complex three-dimensional photonic components, such as waveguides, couplers, and gratings. Additionally, this technique has been leveraged for innovative applications like 3D optical data storage, where the presence or absence of voids—or nano-gratings—encodes binary information, effectively representing digital data within the material.
Arrayed voids created within bulk glass using ultrashort laser pulses also hold significant promise for advancing applications in photonics and beyond.
One of the most compelling applications of ultrashort laser glass micromachining lies in the direct fabrication of biochips tailored for microfluidic, optofluidic, and lab-on-a-chip systems. These platforms are designed to carry out biochemical reactions, detections, analyses, separations, and even syntheses of biological samples. To create intricate three-dimensional microfluidic structures inside glass substrates, two primary methods have gained widespread adoption: liquid-assisted ultrashort laser drilling and ultrashort laser-assisted wet chemical etching.
In the liquid-assisted ultrashort laser drilling process, as depicted in the diagram below, 3D laser ablation begins at the glass surface in contact with distilled water or another liquid medium. As the laser pulse progresses, the wetting fluid infiltrates the channels formed during the drilling process, dramatically enhancing debris removal by flushing away the ablated material trapped within the narrow microfluidic channels. This innovation effectively mitigates the common issue of clogging caused by debris accumulation during deep drilling operations.
**Liquid-Assisted Ultrashort Laser Drilling Diagram**
Meanwhile, the ultrashort laser-assisted wet chemical etching method involves the following steps: first, the laser exposure generates a latent image within the glass; subsequent thermal treatment induces localized modifications in the affected areas; finally, chemical etching completes the formation of precisely engineered microchannels.
For more details, refer to the original article at: [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0030399215002741](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0030399215002741)
On March 25 (U.S. time), II-VI, a global leader in engineering materials and optoelectronic devices, announced that it has reached a definitive agreement with Coherent, one of the world’s leading suppliers of lasers, laser-based technologies, and laser system solutions.
Under the terms of the deal, II-VI will acquire all outstanding shares of Coherent through a combination of cash and stock. Specifically, Coherent shareholders will receive $220 in cash plus 0.91 shares of II-VI common stock for each share of Coherent common stock held.
Dr. Vincent D. (Chuck) Mattera Jr., CEO of II-VI, commented: "We are thrilled to partner with Coherent to create a global leader in photonics solutions, compound semiconductors, and cutting-edge laser technologies and systems. This merger unlocks tremendous opportunities for us—allowing us to accelerate growth by leveraging complementary technology platforms, enhance our competitive edge through economies of scale across the entire value chain, capitalize on deeper market insights and expertise, and further diversify our business by expanding into new end markets and geographic regions."
He added, "The combined strengths of II-VI and Coherent position us exceptionally well to address the irreversible megatrends shaping industries over the coming decades. We warmly welcome Coherent’s talented team to II-VI and look forward to working together to deliver significant value to all stakeholders, including our shareholders, customers, employees, and business partners."
The merged company anticipates achieving annual cost synergies of $250 million within 36 months following the completion of the transaction. Additionally, the merger is expected to boost non-GAAP earnings per share starting from the second year after closing.
**Financial Strengths**
II-VI plans to fund the acquisition using its existing cash reserves, along with approximately $5.4 billion in fully committed debt financing from JPMorgan Chase, as well as an equity investment from Bain Capital. Bain Capital has already committed to investing $1.5 billion in the combined company at a conversion price of $85.00 per share. Furthermore, Bain Capital has confirmed its willingness to increase this commitment by up to an additional $650 million under similar terms, with a minimum of $300 million, bringing the total potential investment to at least $1.8 billion. This substantial investment from Bain Capital will significantly reduce II-VI’s leverage ratio.
Steve Pagliuca, Co-Chairman of Bain Capital, will join the II-VI board as part of their investment. It is also anticipated that two current Coherent directors will transition to the II-VI board following the completion of the merger.
Steve Pagliuca, Co-Chairman of Bain Capital, remarked: "We are delighted to collaborate with Chuck and the II-VI management team, whose proven operational expertise and impressive track record in M&A make them ideal partners. The combination of II-VI and Coherent will establish a premier platform in the photonics industry. We are incredibly excited about the transformative impact this merged entity will have on driving innovation and delivering exceptional value to our stakeholders over the years ahead."
This transaction has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies and now awaits approval from II-VI and Coherent shareholders, as well as regulatory clearances from U.S. and international authorities, along with other customary closing conditions. The deal is currently expected to close before the end of 2021.
Allen & Company LLC and JPMorgan Securities Ltd. are serving as financial advisors to II-VI, while Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and K&L Gates are acting as legal counsel.
On the same day, Coherent announced the termination of its previously agreed merger with Lumentum. Under the original merger agreement between Coherent and Lumentum signed on March 9, 2021, Coherent was obligated to pay Lumentum a termination fee of $217.6 million to facilitate the new merger with II-VI.
According to Lumentum, based on the closing price on March 24, 2021, its offer valued Coherent shares at $283.12 per share, whereas II-VI’s offer was priced at $281.21 per share.
Lumentum’s proposal included acquiring Coherent shares at $230 in cash plus 0.6724 shares of Lumentum stock per share. In contrast, II-VI’s offer entailed $220 in cash coupled with 0.9100 shares of II-VI stock per share.
Source: ICC
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