UK Chip Packaging R&D Centre Secures £3m Funding

The University of Glasgow has secured a £3 million grant to establish a cutting-edge research centre dedicated to semiconductor integration, 3D printing, and packaging. Known as the Automated Nano AnaLysing, characterisatiOn and additive packaGing sUitE (ANALOGUE), the facility will focus on the rapid prototyping, packaging, and characterization of a wide range of semiconductor devices.

Located at the University's Advanced Research Centre (ARC), ANALOGUE will be equipped with state-of-the-art chip probing tools, advanced packaging capabilities, and additive electronics manufacturing for 3D printing. What sets this centre apart is its fully automated setup, making it the first machine-driven integrated assembly and characterization line for semiconductor devices in the UK. This advanced automation will enable users to remotely access the suite with support from on-site experts, streamlining the research process.

The industrial partners collaborating with the University of Glasgow on this project include leading companies such as ARM, PragmatIC, Nano-Dimension, and Vector Photonics, among others. With a team of 23 academics and over 100 researchers and students utilizing the facility, ANALOGUE is poised to drive innovation in various sectors, from biomedical implants to sustainable sensors and quantum computing interfaces.

Professor Hadi Heidari, Head of the University of Glasgow's Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering Research Division and the principal investigator of the project, emphasized the significance of this grant for the UK's semiconductor research landscape. He stated, "The establishment of ANALOGUE represents a substantial advance in the UK's semiconductor research infrastructure for heterogeneous integration and advanced packaging."

Supported by 27 external project partners, including national facilities like the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), as well as academic networks and research universities, ANALOGUE is set to become a hub for cutting-edge research and development in the field of semiconductor technology.