Location: Newport, Wales
The Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult’s purpose is to deliver long-term benefit to the UK economy and accelerate UK economic growth in industries where applying compound semiconductors creates a competitive advantage and enables new products or end markets. Compound semiconductors bring many advantages in size, weight and performance when used in systems. Typically they have a much wider bandgap compared to silicon which allows devices to operate at much higher voltages, frequencies and temperatures to power the essential technologies of the future.
CSA Catapult’s vision is for the UK to become a global leader in developing and commercialising new applications for compound semiconductors. They will achieve this through the knowledge and expertise of their talented team based at the world-class DER-IC South West and Wales, in heart of the compound semiconductor cluster in Newport.
Key strengths and unique capabilities
State-of- the-art equipment at CSA Catapult’s Innovation Centre offers customers the ability to prototype and test additive techniques using ceramic and metals to develop high performance applications.
- High-power electronics device/module package design and modelling
- Novel package architecture and rapid prototyping
- Thermal management for electronics systems combining thermal modelling, assembly and validation for high-reliability operation
- 3D integration and packaging – compact, lightweight and high-performance modules and systems
- High-temperature electronics assembly and testing
CSA Catapult’s Power Electronics laboratory is one of the country’s most advanced and comprehensive modelling, characterisation, integration and validation facilities for power electronics innovation.
Equipment
Rapid prototyping of high thermal conductivity ceramic substrates and packages using Alumina, Aluminium nitride and multi-materials.
High-precision pure copper metal printing for developing superior electrical and thermally conductive packages.
Semiconductor wafer dicing, laser hole drilling and scribing.
Perform a wide range of mechanical testing of 3D printed parts and evaluate the material properties.