Contact: Maridith Geuder
Photo by: Russ Houston
STARKVILLE, Miss.--A global high-technology corporation with manufacturing facilities in four states and two foreign countries today [April 4] announced a partnership with a Starkville-based company that was a spin-off from Mississippi State research.
II-VI Incorporated of Saxonburg, Pa., [NASDAQ NMS: IIVI] is teaming with SemiSouth Laboratories, which is located adjacent to the university campus in the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park. (II-VI is pronounced "Two-Six.")
The SemiSouth/II-VI collaboration will provide manufacturing development and scale-up capabilities for production of silicon carbide. SiC, as it's often referred, is a semiconductor used in high-voltage, high-temperature, and high frequency electronics applications, including radar, power conversion and radio-frequency transistors.
"The trip from Silicon Valley to Starkville just got a lot shorter," said Rep. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.). "II-VI is a world leader in its field and will be an invaluable partner with MSU and SemiSouth in growing this part of Mississippi into a high-technology magnet for future development."
II-VI initially will establish a manufacturing facility in the research park's 25,000-square-foot Ralph E. Powe Center for Innovative Technology, home of SemiSouth. Currently, II-VI has manufacturing facilities in California, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, Singapore, and China.
Founded in 1971, II-VI is a diversified optical and opto-electronics manufacturing enterprise that produces single crystal silicon carbide substrates through its Wide Bandgap Materials Group. The group has a primary research and development center in New Jersey.
SemiSouth Laboratories is a privately held company formed in 2000 to commercialize silicon carbide electronic materials and device technologies developed at MSU.
"This partnership benefits Mississippi by moving university-based research into the private sector," said MSU President Charles Lee. "It will help significantly expand an existing high-tech industry, boost the capabilities of both companies and create the potential for additional industry spin-offs and jobs."
The combination of complementary research and development efforts in New Jersey and manufacturing and development efforts in Mississippi will support improved products for next-generation industrial and defense applications, company leaders said.
"The accessible market for silicon carbide in high-performance power electronics, as well high-temperature and harsh environment applications, is really beginning to grow, and the
II-VI/SemiSouth partnership is well positioned to serve key customers in those markets," said Jeff Casady, SemiSouth president.
"We believe that close collaboration with SemiSouth will enable both companies to make rapid progress in technology development and ultimately will lead to a more efficient and effective manufacturing process," said Carl J. Johnson, II-VI chairman and chief executive officer.
SemiSouth originated years ago in a research effort based in MSU's electrical and computer engineering department. Engineering professor Michael Mazzola directed the program that led to the company Casady now heads.
Since 2000, SemiSouth and II-VI have received a combined total of more than $10 million in federal support for technology development, process improvement, and process scale-up, particularly in Defense Department-related projects.
A II-IV spokesman said respective congressional delegations in the two states were "key in advancing technological expansion, particularly in critical defense-related areas."
Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) called the collaboration "an outstanding example of how federal support for university research has led to a spin-off industry that in turn is attracting a new partner and new economic opportunities for the Golden Triangle area.
"The investment of federal research and development dollars has been leveraged to create an industrial capacity that we believe will only continue to expand," Pickering added
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For more information, contact Mr. Casady of SemiSouth
(662) 324-7607 or Jeff.Casady@semisouth.com. Also, MSU research vice president Colin Scanes can be reached at 325-3570 or scanes@research.msstate.edu; and Craig A. Creaturo, II-VI chief financial officer/treasurer, at (724) 352-4455 or ccreaturo@ii-vi.com.