National Epitaxy Facility article in CS magazine – “A National Treasure: The UK’s central growth facility”
Professor Jon Heffernan, Director of the National Epitaxy Facility, was interviewed by Richard Stevenson, Editor of the Compound Semiconductor Magazine, to discuss the importance of the facility to provide epitaxy service to the UK semiconductor community enabling novel research in semiconductor materials and devices in academia and industry.
The article focuses on the Facility’s history, current capabilities (including materials grown and state-of-the-art equipment available), funding model, user access, and contributions to the research and development in many technological areas.
The Facility has had many highlights over the 40 years of its existence. One example of the Facility’s pioneering research is quantum dots, which has enabled them to be used in quantum technology applications. Other examples include being the first in the world to produce mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers by MOVPE, enabling them to be used in industrial applications, pioneering growth of III-V lasers on silicon, and most recently developing porous GaN technology, which could be used in virtual-reality displays.
The Facility provides expert service and advice to users who have EPSRC or industrial funding available for their research, and also stimulates the research direction by supporting new research applications. The pump-priming scheme is a great example of this, which enables new researchers or those with novel research directions to conduct feasibility studies leading to full grant proposals.
The importance of semiconductors to the global economy and security has been recognised by many governments recently and the demand for epitaxial service and development is growing by the day, so the facility is busier than ever expanding its material provision and investing in new equipment and the next generation of semiconductor experts. To read the full article, visit the CS website: A national treasure: The UK’s central growth facility, or download the issue.
