Swansea University in Wales has installed gallium tri-oxide (Ga2O3) deposition equipment at its Centre for Integrated Semiconductor Materials (CISM). The material is an ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor suitable for high voltage applications. The university has added a close-coupled shower head deposition system to its MOCVD laboratory to grow crystalline gallium oxide thin films on 4 inch substrates. This new facility is expected to enhance research capabilities and collaboration opportunities.
Recent #UK manufacturing news in the semiconductor industry
➀ A new UK semiconductor design centre is expected to emerge from a joint venture between the Welsh Government, the Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult, and Cadence Design Systems.
➁ The design centre, funded by £2.5m from the Welsh Government and supported by Cadence and CSA Catapult, is set to create over 100 jobs for graduate students in the next five years.
➂ Based in Centre 7 in Cardiff Gate, it will be a Cadence Design Centre operated by CSA Catapult, and will collaborate with universities, start-ups, and small businesses on projects.
➀ Ditronix offers a multi-phase power and energy monitoring board called 'IPEM PiHat' for Raspberry Pis; ➁ The board is based on Microchip's M90E36A IC and offers various features for energy monitoring; ➂ It can be used in IoT platforms and is designed with safety in mind, using only low-voltage SELV ac and galvanic isolation.
➀ QPT, a Cambridge GaN power drive startup, has appointed Simon Hart, an electric motor and business specialist, as an advisor to its board. Hart has extensive experience in scaling up businesses and has a background in electric motors and automotive power management. He believes that GaN has the potential to revolutionize power electronics, and QPT's technology addresses issues like thermal management and RF interference. ➁ QPT was founded in Cambridge in 2019, focusing on GaN power drive solutions. ➂ Hart's role as an advisor is to help QPT bring GaN technology to the global market.
➀ Richard LeCain has been appointed as the CTO of the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC). ➁ He brings over 20 years of experience in the battery industry, having worked at A123 Systems and Britishvolt. ➂ LeCain will lead technical process design, product development, and R&D activities at UKBIC.
1. Integrals Power has initiated production of lithium-ion cathode materials at a pilot plant in Milton Keynes, UK. 2. The plant is capable of producing 20 tonnes annually and is designed to scale up to tens of thousands of tonnes. 3. The company sources raw materials from Europe and North America and has received funding from multiple UK government grants.