ClassOne Technology Secures Multi-System Follow-on Orders from Top Photonics Manufacturers for High-Volume 6-inch InP Gold Plating

Multiple Solstice® S8 orders key to production ramp for InP photonics manufacturing, supporting next-generation optical interconnects for AI data centers

KALISPELL, Mont., Sept. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClassOne Technology, a leading global provider of advanced electroplating and wet processing tools for microelectronics manufacturing, today announced that two industry-leading photonics manufacturers have placed follow-on production orders for multiple Solstice^® S8 advanced single-wafer wet processing systems. Configured with ClassOne’s GoldPro™ electroplating chambers, the Solstice systems will be used for high-volume gold electroplating of 4-inch and 6-inch indium phosphide (InP) wafers key to next-generation optical devices for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and other high-bandwidth communications applications.

The Solstice systems deliver advanced gold plating performance to provide the throughput and process consistency required for volume InP manufacturing. These customers, which leverage Solstice as their global process tool of record for gold plating, anticipate deploying multiple additional systems as InP based transceiver production capacity expands, underscoring the accelerating demand for high-bandwidth optical interconnects in AI infrastructure. These customers value the Solstice system’s flexibility, which allows for metal lift-off, wet-etch and other processes to be added on the same platform.

High-volume manufacturing of InP-based optical devices requires extremely uniform thickness and surface roughness control to ensure device performance, yield and long-term reliability. As AI model complexity and data center bandwidth requirements continue to increase, InP photonics is rapidly becoming a critical technology for enabling faster, lower-power data transmission. According to industry analyst firm Yole Group, AI data center scaling is driving massive growth in photonics. By 2031, the optical transceiver market is projected to reach $112 billion, while the photonics packaging market is forecast to hit $14.4 billion—deployment of co-packaged optics (CPO) is dramatically accelerating the consumption of InP lasers essential to photonics ICs.

“The photonics market has reached an important inflection point as manufacturers ramp to high-volume production,” said ClassOne CEO Byron Exarcos. “These orders and anticipated additional follow-ons reflect these vital customers’ confidence in our ability to deliver the process performance, throughput and manufacturing scalability required for next-generation photonics production. We’re excited to further support these technology leaders as optical interconnects become essential to AI infrastructure.”

ClassOne’s plating technology is specifically engineered for demanding semiconductor applications requiring exceptional thickness control, wafer-to-wafer repeatability and production-ready throughput. These latest orders, which closely follow recently announced Solstice S8 photonics purchases, further illustrate the industry’s focus on building the manufacturing infrastructure needed for the next generation of AI connectivity.

About ClassOne Technology
ClassOne Technology is a leading provider of advanced electroplating and wet processing systems for semiconductor and microelectronic device manufacturing around the world. Its advanced IP portfolio comprises highly customized, cost-effective processing solutions for critical wafer processes used to manufacture devices for photonics, power, 5G, microLED, and MEMS and sensor markets. With tools installed in leading fabs and research organizations worldwide, ClassOne’s flagship Solstice^® platform is highly configurable, comprising fully automated wet processing applications with the industry’s most competitive ROI. For more information, visit classone.com. Stay in touch on LinkedIn and X.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/39be8662-fbc8-4035-8aa5-2cd5947ea36c

ClassOne Solstice S8 Selected by Top Photonics Makers for Gold Plating of InP Wafers

Two leading photonics companies have placed follow-on production orders for multiple ClassOne Solstice S8 systems, to be used for high-volume gold electroplating of 4- and 6-inch InP wafers key to next-gen optical devices for AI data centers.