A new facility using cutting edge electron beam technology to
build the next generation of semiconductor chips, and the first
of its kind in Europe, was opened at the University of
Southampton by Science Minister today (Wednesday 30 April).
The new E-beam lithography facility is just the second in the
world, and first outside Japan, and provides incredible accuracy
that is critical to designing the tiny components that power
technologies of the future, from medical diagnostics to defence
systems.
Semiconductors – the small chips that power devices from
smartphones to satellites - already contribute an estimated £10
billion to our economy each year, with the sector projected to
grow to an estimated £17 billion by 2030.
Strengthening the sector offers a major opportunity to drive the
growth at the heart of our Plan for Change, through
boosting innovation and jobs. It also supports the UK's wider
Industrial Strategy to grow key advanced manufacturing sectors
and secure global competitiveness.
E-beam lithography uses a focused beam of tiny particles called
electrons to create patterns in materials with unrivalled
resolution – allowing researchers to create features thousands of
times smaller than a human hair.
Science Minister, , said:
Britain is home to some of the most exciting semiconductor
research anywhere in the world – and Southampton's new E-beam
facility is a major boost to our national capabilities.
By investing in both infrastructure and talent, we're giving our
researchers and innovators the support they need to develop
next-generation chips right here in the UK.
Our £4.75 million skills package will support our Plan for Change
by helping more young people into high-value semiconductors
careers, closing skills gaps and backing growth in this critical
sector.
The Science Minister's visit to Southampton comes alongside
new research being
published today, which shows that one of the biggest barriers
to achieving growth in the UK's burgeoning semiconductor industry
is a lack of emerging talent. With a single semiconductor worker
contributing an average of £460,000 to the economy annually, the
sector's economic potential is huge.
In response, the government has launched a new £4.75 million
semiconductor skills package to help build the talent base needed
to fuel this high-growth industry. The package will also help
strengthen R&D
capacity at leading universities, such as Southampton, which are
central to UK semiconductor innovation and talent
development.
By supporting local talent pipelines and university–industry
collaboration, the programme will contribute to both regional and
national economic growth, fuelling our Plan for Change, and
reinforcing the role the semiconductors industry is set to play
in the Industrial Strategy.
The package includes:
- £3 million for undergraduate bursaries, offering £5,000 each
to 300 students starting Electronics and Electrical Engineering
degrees this year, alongside specialist semiconductor content to
raise awareness of the field, with a focus on courses that
include semiconductor design and manufacturing.
- £1.2 million for chip design training, with new chip design
courses to teach practical chip design skills to undergraduates,
postgraduates, and lecturers, as well as a feasibility study for
new postgraduate conversion courses.
- Almost £550,000 for school outreach, giving 7,000 students
aged 15–18 and 450 teachers hands-on semiconductor experience in
partnership with local employers, helping raise awareness and
diversify the future workforce. This programme will be focused on
existing UK semiconductor clusters – such as Newport, Cambridge,
and Glasgow – helping to strengthen these ecosystems and create
long-term career opportunities.
This targeted skills support will underpin the long-term success
of the UK semiconductor sector – helping to attract more students
into high-value careers, fill key vacancies and support UK
leadership in critical and emerging technologies that will be
instrumental to our mission to grow the economy.
University of Southampton's Professor , who leads its Optoelectronics
Research Centre (ORC), said:
The introduction of the new E-Beam facility will reinforce our
position of hosting the most advanced cleanroom in UK academia.
It facilitates a vast array of innovative and industrially
relevant research, and much needed semiconductor skills training.
