Founded in 2015, The Compound Semiconductor Centre (CSC) is a joint venture between IQE plc and Cardiff University to underpin the creation of a unique capability for emerging technologies based on Compound Semiconductor (CS) materials.
CSC is co-located with IQE plc in St Mellons, Cardiff, UK, in facilities which house 15 Compound Semiconductor MOCVD (Metal Organic Chemical Vapour Deposition) volume reactors and 5 CVD Si/Ge deposition reactors. This collective capability represents an investment of in excess of £35M in epitaxial growth and characterisation equipment.
CSC provides a complete capability chain from research and development through product and process innovation to large-scale manufacturing via IQE’s global facilities.
Since 2016, CSC has secured twenty-seven collaborative research projects (2021) with total value of >£80M across all partners.
With a focus on:
- High performance opto-electronic components for telecommunications; and datacommunications applications;
- Infra Red detector structures for imaging and sensing applications;
- Structures for RF and Power electronics applications; and
- Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) epitaxial technology;
CSC offers:
- Collaborative research and innovation services based on the development of novel CS materials and structures;
- Commercial supply of ‘early-stage’ CS epitaxial materials and structures based on GaAs (Gallium Arsenide), InP (Indium Phoshide) and GaN (Gallium Nitride) material systems; and
- Brokerage to CS device chip-scale fabrication and packaging services.
In collaboration with the Institute of Compound Semiconductors (ICS) at Cardiff University, CSC provides:
- Fabrication and prototyping of novel CS device technology; and
- Access to device characterisation facilities and expertise.
In collaboration with IQE plc, CSC provides:
- A direct and efficient route to scale-up to volume manufacturing services; and
- Commercialisation services such as market assessment, manufacturability advice and volume CS materials process development.