Cardiff Uni's ICT celebrates ten years
Ten years ago, Cardiff University got the go-ahead for the establishment of a 'Research Institute for Compound Semiconductor Technology' with the aim of creating a 'world class centre of excellence for the commercial and academic exploitation of Compound Semiconductor Technologies'.
The Institute for Compound Semiconductors (ICS) was born. It became one of the founder members of the hugely successful South Wales Compound Semiconductor Cluster CSconnected, which brings together academia, focused government backing, and cutting-edge industry to drive breakthroughs in AI, 6G, electric vehicles, green energy, and quantum computing.
Today, the ICS is staffed by experienced process engineers and offers access to a wide range of equipment and services. It has a 1500m2cleanroom dedicated to the fabrication of compound semiconductor devices, and offers end-to-end processing of compound semiconductor wafers up to 200mm.
The institute provides avenue to pursue research for both commercial and academic researchers, as well as product development and testing – all without the large upfront financial investment that would be required to purchase the necessary specialised equipment for such endeavours.
