A new facility has opened at the University of Southampton, using cutting-edge e-beam lithography to build the next generation of semiconductor chips.
The new E-Beam lithography facility is the second in the world and the first outside of Japan, offering incredible accuracy that is critical for designing small components that will enhance future technology, from medical diagnostics to defense systems.
Semiconductors are already projected to grow to an estimated £17 billion by 2030, contributing an estimated £10 billion to the UK economy each year.
Sector strengthening provides a great opportunity to drive growth at the heart of the UK’s change plan by boosting innovation and work. It also supports the UK’s broader industrial strategy to expand its key advanced manufacturing sectors and ensure global competitiveness.
Unparalleled benefits of e-beam lithography
E-Beam Lithography uses a focused beam of small particles called electrons to create patterns on unparalleled resolution materials. This allows researchers to create features thousands of times smaller than human hair.
The Minister of Science, Balance Lord said: “The UK is based in some of the world’s most exciting semiconductor research, and Southampton’s new e-beam facility is a major boost to our national capabilities.
“By investing in both infrastructure and talent, we provide researchers and innovators with the support they need to develop the next generation of chips in the UK.”
Lack of new talent to stop the development of semiconductors
The Minister of Science’s visit to Southampton is parallel to the new research being published. This shows that one of the biggest barriers to achieving growth in the UK’s fast-growing semiconductor industry is the lack of emerging talent.
The economic potential of the sector is enormous as a single semiconductor worker contributes an average of £460,000 to the UK economy each year.
In addition to E-Beam Lithography Technology, the government has launched a new £4.75 million semiconductor skills package that will help build the talent base needed to fuel this high-growth industry.
The package will also help strengthen R&D capabilities at major universities, such as Southampton, the heart of UK semiconductor innovation and talent development.
It includes:
It will provide £3 million for undergraduate scholarships and £5,000 each to 300 students, and this year will launch a degree in electronics and electrical engineering, raising awareness of the field along with specialized semiconductor content focusing on courses that include semiconductor design and manufacturing. £1.2 million for chip design training, a feasibility study of new chip design courses to teach practical chip design skills to undergraduate, graduate students and lecturers, and new graduate conversion courses. At nearly £550,000 in school outreach, 7,000 students and 450 teachers, ages 15-18, worked with local employers to provide hands-on semiconductor experiences, raising awareness and diversifying the future workforce. The program will focus on existing UK semiconductor clusters such as Newport, Cambridge and Glasgow, and will help strengthen these ecosystems and create long-term career opportunities.
Grow the sector with new funds
By supporting collaboration between local talent pipelines and university industries, the programme contributes to both regional and national economic growth, and the role the semiconductor industry is set to play in its industrial strategy.
This targeted skill support will underpin the long-term success of the UK semiconductor sector. This will help attract more students to high-value careers, fill important vacancy and support UK leadership in critical and emerging technologies that will help grow the economy.
Professor Graham Reid of the University of Southampton, who leads the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC), commented:
“It promotes a vast range of innovative and industrially relevant research and much-needed semiconductor skills training.”
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