Fujitsu and Mitsui establish QD Laser, Inc., a joint venture for development, production, and marketing of high-performance quantum dot lasers and optical devices.

Quantum dots, from which the new venture takes its name, are semiconductor particles that are a single nanometer in size. Quantum dots and technology utilizing quantum dots were developed through an academic-industrial research collaboration by Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Laboratories, and Professor Yasuhiko Arakawa’s laboratory at the University of Tokyo.

Quantum dot lasers are significantly superior to conventional semiconductor lasers in that they feature higher performance in such aspects as temperature-independent operation, low power consumption, long-distance transmission, and high speed. It is anticipated that quantum dot lasers will become a core technology to realize high-performance light sources for optical telecommunication, for which data traffic is continuing to increase rapidly.

Utilizing quantum dot semiconductor crystallization leading-edge technology developed thus far by Fujitsu, and laser design and process technologies, QDL will offer quantum dot lasers to the optical telecommunication light source market for use in optical access and optical LAN within buildings.

Through Mitsui Ventures, Mitsui has made equity investments to support start-up companies in various ways from a global perspective. In addition to supporting QDL through strategy planning, operational management, capitalization and fund-raising strategy, Mitsui Ventures will also support global marketing of QDL’s technologies, enhancing growth and expansion of the new venture. Fujitsu will offer business management support.

The establishment of QDL is scheduled for April 2006. The capital will be 290 million yen (2.5 million US$). Fujitsu and Mitsui will invest in increments, with Fujitsu’s ownership ratio to be 61%, and Mitsui’s to be 39% through its fund.