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
The award winners are:
- 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
The award winners are:
- 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
The award winners are:
- 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
The award winners are:
- 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 utilise 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
The award winners are:
- 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
Further information
See the full list of winning projects and their grant values.
Industrial epitaxy of ULTRARAM computer memory
Grant funding: £680,675
Award winners:
- Quinas Technology Limited
- Cardiff University
- IQE PLC
- Lancaster University
UpQSens: upscaling manufacture of quantum dot-based CMOS SWIR sensors in the UK
Grant funding: £1,189,114
Award winners:
- Quantum Advanced Solutions Limited
- University of Cambridge
Developing new UK packaging capability for highly miniaturised, compound semiconductor-based photovoltaic components to enable autonomous and sustainable IoT at scale
Grant funding: £564,018
Award winners:
- Lightricity Limited
- Alter Technology TUV NORD UK Limited
Commodity High Performance InP lasers on a 6” wafer platform (CHIPIN6)
Grant funding: £409,942
Award winners:
- Compound Semiconductor Centre Limited
- Ffotoneg Ltd
- SPTS Technologies Limited
- Cardiff University
FlexPlanner/FAR: automated solutions to dramatically improve wafer-fab efficiency, while simultaneously reducing reliance on manufacturing skilled labour
Grant funding: £999,943
Award winners:
- Flexciton Limited
- Seagate Technology Ireland
Scale up of avalanche photodiodes for future terabit optical networks (CAPTAIN)
Grant funding: £830,123
Award winners:
- Phlux Technology Ltd
- Sivers Photonics Limited
- The University of Sheffield
- Hilight Semiconductor Limited
Semiconductor impact calculator ‘RESiLABLE’ to deeply decarbonise and increase supply-chain resilience of UK semiconductor manufacturing
Grant funding: £256,500
Award winners:
- Minviro Limited
- Swansea University
Industrial development of novel photoresists for high-NA EUV enabling UK-based semiconductor manufacturing scale-up
Grant funding: £1,701,542
Award winners:
- Irresistible Materials Limited
- Endevour Speciality Chemicals Limited
Onshoring and Scale Up of 3c-SiC substrates for cubic GaN microLEDs
Grant funding: £303,125
Award winners:
- Kubos Semiconductors Limited
- Advanced Epi Materials And Devices Limited
- Oxford Instruments PLC
- Wafer Technology Limited
UK integrated supply chain to support Vishay (UKISC-V)
Grant funding: £321,184
Award winners:
- RAM Innovations Limited
- KuasaSemi Limited
- Vishay Limited
Enhancement of power devices with 3C-SiC
Grant funding: £585,921
Award winners:
- IceMOS Technology Limited
- University of Warwick
UK-GRAFT: the UK graphene research and fabrication technology foundry
Grant Funding: £1,402,258
Award winners:
- Paragraf Limited
- UK Electronic Skills Foundation
- University of Birmingham
- Cupio Services Limited
- University of Glasgow
Establishing new manufacturing techniques for high-value semiconductor manufacturing of X-ray dosimeters for radiotherapy in the UK
Grant funding: £528,683
Award winners:
- Silverray Limited
- University of Surrey
GRAPHICS
Grant funding: £650,132
Award winners:
- Vector Photonics Limited
- University of Glasgow
INTERPOSE-UK
Grant funding: £438,498
Award winners:
- BAE systems (operations) Limited
- Oxford Lasers Limited
- PRP Optoelectronics Limited
- University of Southampton
APEX-G
Grant funding: £608,210
Award winners:
- Integrated Compound Semiconductors Limited
- NPL Management Limited
- Microchip Technology Caldicot Limited
- Compound Semiconductor Centre Limited
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