Bookham Amplifier Hits 10,000 Hour Life-test Landmark

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San Jose, Calif. – October 21, 2008 – Bookham, Inc. (Nasdaq: BKHM) has demonstrated the reliability and stability of its telecom amplifier and pump technology with the results from a 10,000 hour amplifier life-test, and a 38,000 hour discrete pump level life-test. The results demonstrate the inherent quality and performance of the Bookham amplifier design and the Mini-DIL un-cooled 980nm pump laser modules used within.

The three customised, compact, high power amplifier gainblocks that underwent the testing were a small form-factor design, taking advantage of the compact package size and low power consumption of the Mini-DIL un-cooled pumps. These amplifiers operate at +19dBm output power and are typically deployed in single-channel applications within metro networks.

“The industry norm for life-testing amplifiers and other high value modules and subsystems is just 2,000 hours – we’ve carried out these life-tests to conclusively show that our amplifiers and pumps have industry leading quality and reliability,” said director of product management, Mark Ives. “The market for line-side amplifier solutions is extremely competitive and is played out between just three dominant companies, so the systems houses look at product reliability as a key differentiator.

“We are now at 10,000 hours for the amplifiers, but this testing will continue to build up valuable reliability information and prove the quality of the Bookham product.”

The parameters measured, in-situ every 6 minutes, included output power, noise-figure, and input and output monitor responses. The measurements read the health of the entire amplifier assembly, including all of the active and passive subcomponents within. The results demonstrated the high reliability of the design itself, the components, and the manufacturing process.

In a separate, discrete pump level extended life-test, a sample of Bookham Mini-DIL un-cooled pumps have been running at 200mW and 70°C – the product’s uppermost operating conditions – for in excess of 38,000 hours, equivalent to approximately 20 years of operations at ‘use’ conditions. The pump life-test has revealed zero failures and shows no indication of any onset of ‘wearout’. The Bookham Mini-DIL and other pump products are underpinned by chips from the company’s Zurich facility, which also support submarine applications where far greater reliability and stability are demanded than in terrestrial networks.

The Bookham portfolio of pump laser modules includes the fully Telcordia qualified, cooled 750mW pump, which offers operating temperatures from -20°C to +75°C, providing reliable performance in central office applications, office under fault conditions and uncontrolled environments. This is believed to be the only pump module to offer industry leading 750mW power at such broad operating temperatures. The 750mW pump module was launched at OFC/NFOEC 2007 and has been shipping in volume for over 18 months.

The key elements of these life-test proven compact, high power amplifier gainblock products, including the uncooled Mini-DIL 980nm pump, feature within the Bookham MiNi Block™ µ7040 product, an ultra-compact 70mm x 40mm x 7.5mm gainblock, launched at ECOC 2008 and due to be generally available in the fourth quarter of 2008.

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The Bookham high power amplifier gainblock, containing two Bookham Mini-DIL un-cooled 980nm pump laser modules

For a high resolution version of this image, please email gemma@bcspr.co.uk.

About Bookham
Bookham, Inc. is a leading provider of high performance optical products, spanning from components to advanced subsystems. The company designs and manufactures a broad range of solutions tailored for the telecommunications optical infrastructure and selected markets, including industrial, life sciences, semiconductor, and scientific. The Company utilizes proprietary core technologies and a vertically integrated manufacturing organization to provide its customers with cost-effective and innovative devices, as well as flexible, scalable product delivery. Bookham is a global company, headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with leading edge chip fabrication facilities in the UK and Switzerland, and manufacturing sites in the US and China.

Bookham and all other Bookham, Inc. product names and slogans are trademarks or registered trademarks of Bookham, Inc. in the USA or other countries.