Two local companies founded by UCSB Engineering alumni have each received $1 million US Department of Energy grants to encourage clean energy research and technology development. The south coast-based small businesses, SixPoint Materials and Freedom Photonics, were spotlighted recently in the Santa Barbara Independent.

SixPoint Materials was founded in 2006 by Materials graduate Tadao Hashimoto. SPM produces gallium nitride (GaN) wafers, growing bulk crystals of GaN using a proprietary ammonothermal process. Based in Buellton, SixPoint Material's GaN is used in technology such as LEDs, energy-saving solid state lighting, blue/green laser diodes for compact projector displays, and high frequency power transistors for hybrid electric cars.

Freedom Photonics was co-founded in 2005 by two researchers in the Coldren Group, Leif Johansson and Milan Mashanovitch. The Goleta-based company designs, develops, and manufactures photonic integrated circuit (PIC) products. Their photonic integrated circuit technology is based around the integration platforms of compound semiconductors (InP, GaAs), silicon-germanium CMOS, and planar lightwave waveguide platforms.

Image via Independent.com