UK invests £7m in AI-driven semiconductor research
UK semiconductor research and development has received a £7m boost that will see the National Epitaxy Facility at Sheffield University use AI-driven equipment to develop new materials.
Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Council (EPRSC), new Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) equipment will utilise AI to accelerate the discovery and development of new semiconductor materials that are sustainable and transformational.
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 EPSRC-funded National Epitaxy Facility, a centre of excellence hosted by Sheffield in collaboration with Cambridge University and UCL.
Semiconductors are used in numerous applications and new semiconductors are critical to technology innovation. Historically, discoveries such as the Gallium Nitride (GaN) have had an impact by creating new industries like the £100bn LED lighting industry. Overall, the global semiconductor industry is worth £900bn.
There is also a need to increase environmental sustainability in the semiconductor industry by seeking out new semiconductors made from earth-abundant materials such as zinc, aluminium and nitrogen.
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