Under the deal Fairchild is carry on supplying OMM with MEMS wafers for use in optical networking applications.

Fairchild is already manufacturing and shipping wafers to OMM for its line of photonic switch products. A longer-term agreement was dependent on the successful transfer of the SUMMiT IV process technology from Sandia National Laboratories to Fairchild (see October 8, 2001, story).

"Fairchild has leveraged its world-class manufacturing capabilities in South Portland, Maine to offer MEMS customers a fully-characterized and production-ready SUMMiT IV process technology for photonic switch products,"

"Our close working relationship with OMM has enabled Fairchild to complete the transition of the SUMMiT IV process into volume production and to ensure quality levels consistent with Telcordia standards," said Gerry Fortin, managing director of Fairchild's worldwide foundry group, in a statement. Telcordia refers to Telcordia Technologies Inc., a company that was created by the break-up of the Bell operating companies in 1984 and which writes software and standards for telecommunications systems.

"Qualifying Fairchild-manufactured MEMS wafers provides significant yield and cost improvements in OMM's manufacturing process," said Mike Heath, vice president of supply chain management at OMM, in the same statement. "OMM will benefit from increases in capacity utilization and assurance of supply to our customers."