POET Technologies Announces the Signing of a Collaboration Agreement with BAE Systems and Corporate Updates

TORONTO, ONTARIO and STORRS, CONNECTICUT--(Marketwired - March 30, 2015) - POET Technologies Inc. (TSX VENTURE:PTK) (OTCQX:POETF) - developer of the planar opto-electronic technology ("POET") platform for monolithic fabrication of integrated circuit devices containing both electronic and optical elements on a single semiconductor wafer - today announced the signing of a collaboration agreement with BAE Systems Microelectronics and corporate updates, in particular the formation of a "Technology Roadmap Advisory Board".

Collaboration Agreement with BAE

POET Technologies Inc. (the "Company") signed a contract with BAE Systems under which BAE Systems will provide non-exclusive third-party foundry services in support of the Company's "Lab-to-Fab" transition plan. The current phase of the work will be performed between March 2015 and August 2015. Key objectives of the collaboration include process transfer, prototype builds and design enablement kit development. Using BAE Systems' ISO Certified manufacturing facility will improve the quality, process control and analytical capacity of prototype builds. The result will be both a more manufacturable process and improved optimization of the device structures included in the POET technology.

Initial phases of the program will be performed using 3-inch wafers but from the onset the program will work towards the objective of achieving the full process flow on 6-inch wafers. Virtually all production GaAs-based processes are currently manufactured using 6-inch wafers. The Company believes that using BAE Systems' manufacturing and test capabilities will help the Company to build devices that dramatically demonstrate the disruptive nature of the technology.

"The POET technology incorporates silicon processes into GaAs integrated circuits, producing multifunction chips such as photonics and electronics that will provide enhanced commercial and military products," said Dr. P.C. Chao, Technical Director at BAE Systems. "Working with BAE Systems will enable the acceleration and maturation of the POET fabrication process for a faster prototype demonstration and a smoother transition to manufacturing."