- The University of Sheffield is leading a new national research centre to address a critical challenge in semiconductor development
- Researchers will develop new ways to combine multiple microchips to enable more powerful, efficient and miniaturised electronic devices as traditional circuit boards reach their limits
- Centre will support the UK's Semiconductor Strategy to boost national capability and resilience in this crucial area of technology
- A national 'Design Commons' - a shared bank of semiconductor design resources - will be created to support industry collaboration and skills development
The University of Sheffield is leading a new £12.5 million national research centre to strengthen the UK's ability to design the next generation of advanced electronic systems and support the ambitions of the UK Semiconductor Strategy.
The Centre for Heterogeneous Integrated MicroElectronic and Semiconductor Systems (CHIMES²) will develop new ways to combine multiple microchips into smaller, faster and more energy-efficient systems - a critical challenge as electronic devices continue to shrink and increase in complexity.
Semiconductors power everything from smartphones and data centres to electric vehicles and medical equipment. As traditional circuit boards reach their limits, the future lies in "Heterogeneous Integration" - combining different semiconductor technologies into highly integrated, secure systems.
Led by Sheffield, CHIMES² brings together researchers from the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Queen's University Belfast, Strathclyde, Edinburgh, Newcastle, King's College London, Manchester, and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). CHIMES is funded by the Department for Science Innovation and Technology, delivered and monitored via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
In close partnership with the University of Southampton, Sheffield will co-develop a national "Design Commons" - a shared platform of system architectures, integration workflows and reusable design tools. The Design Commons will support industry collaboration while also forming a core part of the UK's semiconductor skills agenda, aligning with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology's Semiconductor Talent Expansion Programmes to provide hands-on training in advanced system design.
The University of Sheffield's leadership builds on its long-standing strength in semiconductor and microelectronic systems research (e.g. National Epitaxy Facility) as well as communication research (e.g. National Millimetre Wave Facility). By connecting materials discovery, device engineering and system-level design, CHIMES² will help ensure that innovation developed in UK laboratories translates into globally competitive electronic systems.
Professor John Goodenough, Director of CHIMES² and Professor in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Sheffield, said: "This centre strengthens the UK's capability to design the advanced electronic systems that will underpin future economic growth and technological resilience. By bringing together leading expertise from across the UK and embedding that capability into both industry collaboration and national skills programmes, we are building sustainable long-term impact."
Professor Chee Hing Tan, Research Theme Lead for CHIMES² at the University of Sheffield, said: "Sheffield's strength in semiconductor and microelectronic systems research is built on decades of curiosity-driven discovery - from advanced materials growth to system-level design. CHIMES² ensures that this fundamental research connects directly to next-generation integrated systems, while training the engineers who will shape the future of the industry."
John Darlington, from the University of Southampton's School of Electronics and Computer Science and co-lead of CHIMES², said: "As semiconductor devices get ever smaller it is important UK companies can find innovative new ways to combine them into the electronics that are at the heart of systems that allow us to live our daily lives.
"This new centre is about bringing together the best parts of the UK university and industry base to develop expertise in the design of future electronic systems using a broad variety of semiconductor components."
Professor John Goodacre, Professor of Computer Architectures at The University of Manchester and co-lead of CHIMES2, said: "The mission of CHIMES is to bridge the gap between the UK's world-class research base and commercial success. The UK leads in diverse deep-tech fields, from Manchester's breakthroughs in neuromorphic computing to spintronics, photonics, and efficient power delivery. Historically, the primary route to market for such innovation has been the 'Soft-IP' licensing model.
"Heterogeneous Integration fundamentally shifts this value proposition. It enables academic spinouts and businesses to package their novel IP as physical 'Hard-IP' chiplets, integrated alongside standard modules. This facilitates a new 'fabless integrator' economy, allowing UK innovators to capture significantly higher value by selling physical silicon products rather than just design royalties."
Reflecting the University of Sheffield's commitment to independent thinking and a shared ambition, CHIMES² demonstrates how creative minds at the University are shaping solutions to global challenges.
