£11.5m to improve semiconductor manufacturing and supply chains – UKRI

The new investment aims to:

• scale up semiconductor manufacturing within the UK
• improve supply chain resilience within the UK
• establish innovations and new manufacturing techniques
• expand capability or performance of existing manufacturing techniques
• encourage relationships between product designers and manufacturers to develop new manufacturing techniques or expanding capability
• encourage new collaborations across industry and academia

National semiconductor strategy

This is the final competition which forms part of an £18 million programme supporting the UK government’s national semiconductor strategy.

The strategy plans to build on the UK’s strengths in semiconductors to grow the sector, increase our resilience and protect our security.

This competition follows on from previous competition rounds, which has seen an investment of £1.5 million in semiconductor feasibility studies and £4.3 million invested in skills and training.

16 innovative projects

Today, Innovate UK has announced £11.5 million of funding allocated across 16 projects.

These innovative projects are part of a collaborative research and development drive into ways to improve and scale up semiconductor manufacture and improve supply chain resilience within the UK.

UK-GRAFT: The UK graphene research and fabrication technology foundry

Award winners

Award winners:

• Paragraf Limited
• UK Electronic Skills Foundation (UKESF)
• University of Birmingham
• Cupio Services Ltd
• University of Glasgow

About the project

Paragraf successfully participated in Innovate UK’s semiconductor feasibility studies to scale up its graphene technology from 2″ wafers to 6″ wafers.

Now, Paragraf’s vision is to set up the first 2D materials device foundry in the world, focusing first on graphene.

This is due to the extraordinarily large number of device applications that can be served with its proprietary growth technology, and crucially that all devices produced up work excellently and are commercially viable.

This site will become the foundry, with the original, smaller site focusing on research and development (R&D).

Project aims

This project aims to:

• transfer the 6″ graphene growth technology from the R&D site to the foundry
• manufacture devices from these 6″ wafers
• investigate failure mechanisms of these novel devices
• perform industry standard reliability testing

To achieve this, Paragraf will partner with the universities of Glasgow and Birmingham.

Advanced testing

Each will perform advanced testing of the graphene devices created.

The reliability testing and cryogenic testing proposed has never been done for graphene devices.

Cupio Ltd. will work with Glasgow to transfer novel reliability tests to its device test facilities, thus providing an industrial test partner to service the new foundry.

Future skills needs

UKESF will be a key partner on this project.

There is an acknowledged skills gap for technicians to support the scale-up of manufacturing.

UKESF will perform a feasibility study to identify future skills needs and deliver a ‘proof-of-concept’ training course, to provide a solution to the skills gap this new UK industry.

FlexPlanner/FAR: automated solutions to dramatically improve wafer-fab efficiency, while simultaneously reducing reliance on manufacturing skilled labour

Award winners

Award winners:

• Flexciton Limited
• Seagate Technology Ireland

About the project

Bringing together leading manufacturer Seagate and unique UK deep-tech company Flexciton, this 12-month project delivers directly against the UK government’s National Semiconductor Strategy by:

• developing and demonstrating a breakthrough solution for increasing semiconductor factory efficiency
• driving the competitiveness of the UK sector
• creating a globally advantaged manufacturing specialism

This supports UK supply security by making the UK a critical link in the complex global supply chain and a key partner for the international industry to support.

Andrew Tyrer, Deputy Challenge Director, Electronics, Sensors and Photonics, Innovate UK, said:

Innovate UK’s investment in this programme directly supports the National Semiconductor Strategy launched in 2023 and aims to ensure the UK’s place in the global landscape.

Iain Mauchline Innovation Lead, Electronics, Sensors and Photonics, Innovate UK, added:

It has been recognised that semiconductors are key enablers for the UK ambitions across all critical technology areas. Funding these diverse projects highlights the strengths and depth of the UK’s semiconductor ecosystem.

Gallium nitride based advanced photonic crystal structures (GRAPHICS)

Award winners

Award winners:

• Vector Photonics Limited
• University of Glasgow

About the project

Blue lasers have found significant market traction in many applications, including quantum, displays, medical, and recently into car headlights (illumination). Blue light emitters are crucial for the emission of white light and in red, green and blue displays.

Gallium nitride is the semiconductor material that allows the emission of blue light (including blue lasers).

This is the least mature of the semiconductor materials in common commercial supply and there is much to be learned about dealing with this material. The University of Glasgow has key expertise in developing this material.

The photonic crystal surface emitting laser is a novel new laser type that has recently become a commercial proposition. Vector Photonics was incorporated in 2020 to commercialise the patented award-winning technology devolved by the team.

This is the first company commercialising photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers.

Advanced integrated circuit interposers for semiconductor packaging in UK (INTERPOSE-UK)

Award winners

Award winners:

• BAE systems (operations) Limited
• Oxford Lasers Limited
• PRP Optoelectronics Limited
• University of Southampton

About the project

This project aims to develop bespoke interposers, enabling UK companies to capitalise on the heterogeneous integration technologies needed for next generation chip integration.

The INTERPOSE-UK consortium will leverage laser processing and microfabrication to create passive interposers with advanced features like through-substrate vias and redistribution wiring.

The project will look to strengthen UK competitiveness by enabling UK companies to utlilise advanced chip integration methods, opening doors to new markets and applications.

The project has the potential to significantly enhance the UK’s role in the global electronics industry, fostering:

• innovation
• competitiveness
• technological leadership

Advanced high-power, extended-wavelength VCSEL arrays for volume infrared and green laser applications (APEX-G)

Award winners

Award winners:

• Integrated Compound Semiconductors Limited
• NPL Management Limited
• Microchip Technology Caldicot Limited
• Compound Semiconductor Centre Limited

About the project

APEX-G brings together an established supply chain for highly customised single-mode vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSELs) developed for quantum applications to:

• scale-up design, epitaxial growth, fabrication and packaging
• deliver novel laser sources to service several rapidly growing markets in the industrial and medical or clinical sectors