Prosiectau

Find out about some of the exciting projects the Institute has contributed to in collaboration with our partners, both industrial and academic.

HEMAN V: High Efficiency MANufacturing of VCSELs

The Innovate-UK funded HEMAN V project, which ended in March 2018, saw a consortium of industrial and academic partners use their expertise in compound semiconductor materials, device fabrication and capital equipment development to facilitate a step change in the manufacturing methods required to accelerate the adoption of VCSEL solutions in truly mass market products.

Future Compound Semiconductor Manufacturing Hub

The ICS cleanroom plays a key role in the delivery of this ambitious EPSRC funded initiative. The initiative aims to capitalise on existing academic expertise in Cardiff University, The University of Manchester, The University of Sheffield and UCL, along with the UK's indigenous corporate strength in the key advanced materials technology of Compound Semiconductors, to establish the primary global manufacturing research hub for Compound Semiconductors.

Epitaxial Layer Optimisation

Cardiff University has worked with partners from IQE, Swansea University and the University of Bristol on an Engineering Network Wales Project entitled III-V Epitaxial Layer Optimisation for High Frequency Electronic Devices Based on RF Characterisation to establish a systematic approach for epitaxial layer optimisation for gallium nitride (GaN) in high frequency (HF) electronic devices.

KAIROS

This Innovate UK funded project brings together a consortium of UK partners to develop the pre-production prototype of a compact caesium clock that will power 5G networks. The clock could be used in a wide range of future applications including reliable energy supply, safe transport links, 5G mobile communications, data networks and electronic financial transactions. The precise measurement of time is fundamental to the effective functioning of services that currently rely on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) which can be easily disrupted, either accidentally or maliciously.

ACES

This feasibility study, funded by the EPSRC Compound Semiconductor Manufacturing Hub, will develop a novel processing technique to create Gallium Nitride (GaN) optical devices. The objective of the project is to design, create and test optical cavities in GaN by angled etching. We will create photonic crystal beams (which can lead to lasers with ultra-low threshold) and micro-discs (which can be used for lasers, frequency conversion and gas sensing).