Science Minister Lord Vallance opened the new E-beam lithography facility at the Highfield Campus, which is just the second in the world and the first outside Japan.
It provides accuracy that is critical to designing the tiny components that power technologies of the future, from medical diagnostics to defence systems.
Semiconductors – the small chips that power devices from smartphones to satellites – already contribute an estimated £10 billion to our economy each year, with the sector projected to grow to an estimated £17 billion by 2030.
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Science Minister Lord Vallance said: “Britain is home to some of the most exciting semiconductor research anywhere in the world – and Southampton’s new E-beam facility is a major boost to our national capabilities.
“By investing in both infrastructure and talent, we’re giving our researchers and innovators the support they need to develop next-generation chips right here in the UK.
“This is an important facility nationally, internationally; it’s got great people here. It’s got a very international pull to it. This is attracting people from around the world.”
E-beam lithography uses a focused beam of tiny particles called electrons to create patterns in materials with unrivalled resolution, allowing researchers to create features thousands of times smaller than a human hair.
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University of Southampton’s Professor Graham Reed, who leads its Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC), said: “The introduction of the new E-Beam facility will reinforce our position of hosting the most advanced cleanroom in UK academia.
“It facilitates a vast array of innovative and industrially relevant research, and much-needed semiconductor skills training.”
The government has also launched a new £4.75 million semiconductor skills package to help build the talent base needed to fuel this high-growth industry.
The package includes £3 million for undergraduate bursaries, £1.2 million for chip design training, and almost £550,000 for school outreach, aiming to diversify the future workforce and support local ecosystems.
