Nikon Optical Single Crystal related Business Enhanced by Collaboration with Oxide Corporation

Nikon Corporation (Michio Kariya, President) is pleased to announce collaboration in the field of optical single crystals with Oxide Corporation (Mr. Yasunori Furukawa, President & CEO, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan). This new relationship will enable Nikon to utilize the optical single crystals, developed by Oxide Corporation, in the Nikon products. With this collaboration, the technologies of both companies will be merged to provide the market with high value -added optical crystals and their related products.

To further the success of this collaboration, Nikon has also made equity investment in Oxide Corporation.

Behind the collaboration

Nikon is providing the market with a wide variety of products and service around its core technology, optical and precision technologies. It is developing the new products utilizing the optical crystal, based on its unique technology. In pursuit of promoting development of high-performance optical single crystals and their stable procurement to meet Nikon requirement, Nikon have decided to expand and reinforce its ties with Oxide Corporation with whom Nikon is collaborating since 2005 and who owns an excellent opto-electronics single crystal technology.

Overview of the collaboration

• Technological cooperation in the development of optical single crystals
• Technological cooperation in the development of their applied products
• Provision of optical single crystals to Nikon from Oxide Corporation

Plans for the future

With the integration of Nikon's optical and precision technology and Oxide's optical crystal technology, the future scope of this collaboration envisions development and marketing of high-end optical single crystal components and related products enabled by their application.

Oxide Corporation, corporate profile

Statement from Mr. Yasunori Furukawa, President & CEO of Oxide Corporation

Oxide Corporation was established in Oct. 2000. We started our company as a venture corporation manufacturing and marketing the opt-electronics single crystals. They are based on the inventions at National Institute of Materials Science (NIMS).
Up to now, Oxide has brought the new technology called double crucible method, developed by a National Research Institute, to the level of production technology, and has succeeded in pioneering the commercialization of new opt-functioning single crystals called Stoichiometric Lithium Tnatalate and Stoichiometric Lithium Niobate. These new materials are used for frequency conversion, optical modulators, and optical switch devices, which will be key devices in the field of high speed/high density optical communication, optical processing, and optical measurement. This is a market where significant expansion is expected in the near future.

Oxide issued new stock to venture capital firms and business enterprises. The funds so obtained are to be used not only for new Crystals, but also for the development of Cesium Lithium Borate Single Crystals and Barium Borate Single Crystals, which are expected to be applied in the fields of optical information communication, optical measurements/processing, and biomedicine.

This cooperative agreement enables Oxide Corporation to increase its human resources and further promote its business through new material development anticipated for new applications.