- The University of Sheffield has won a £7 million investment to fund new equipment that will revolutionise the discovery and development of new semiconductor materials
- New Molecular Beam Epitaxy equipment will use AI to help accelerate semiconductor materials discovery
- Semiconductor materials - the computer chips that power the technology we rely on daily, from smartphones and medical devices to electric cars and AI - are at the heart of technological innovation
- Equipment will be part of the National Epitaxy Facility - a major research facility hosted by Sheffield that is a critical element of the UK's semiconductor R&D
- System will have state-of-the-art data collection tools and support research that mixes materials to create new device concepts - positioning the UK as an international leader in semiconductor development
New AI-driven equipment will transform the UK's semiconductor R&D, following a £7 million award in investment to the University of Sheffield.
The Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) system will utilise AI to accelerate the discovery and development of new semiconductor materials - the computer chips that power the technology we rely on daily, from smartphones and medical devices to electric cars and AI.
Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Council (EPRSC), the system will be equipped with the very latest innovations, including state-of-the-art data collection tools, that will help position the UK as an international leader in semiconductor development.
The equipment will be configured to provide new avenues for research in unique material combinations, such as the mixing of semiconductors and superconductors to create brand new device concepts.
The system will be installed at the National Epitaxy Facility - an EPSRC-funded centre of excellence hosted by Sheffield in collaboration with the universities of Cambridge and UCL, which was recognised in the UK government's Semiconductor Strategy for playing a critical role in supporting semiconductor research in over 30 research-intensive UK universities and UK industry.
