Advanced electronics and microelectronics technology

The relentless demand for higher performance has driven semiconductor technology to smaller processes and faster transistors. Successful exploitation of new technology is key to survival in this competitive industry, but, while each generation of technology presents opportunities, it often comes with significant challenges.

We invest significant time and money in order to ensure that we maintain and extend our engineering expertise in a number of key areas of electronics including:

• ESL tools, methodologies and IP blocks
• Digital, analogue and mixed signal integrated circuits
• Embedded systems and Hardware / Software co-design
• Deep sub-micron ASIC technologies
• System-in- Package & System-on-Chip technology
• PCBs
• FPGAs and Programmable logic
• Microsystems: MEMs, Microfluidics and integrated MEMs
• Technology CAD (semiconductor CAD)

Semiconductor Fabrication

We have access to a range of third party semiconductor manufacturing processes, from the larger geometry specialised processes right down to the latest 65nm technologies, as well as a range of specialist MEMS processes. The choice of process is typically a complex tradeoff between many factors, including initial fabrication costs, design domain and the performance needs.

We use third party semiconductor foundries for fabrication due to huge costs associated with owning and running a semiconductor production plant, however we do run a state-of- the-art semiconductor micro-fabrication R & D facility which typically focuses on novel structures and fabrication techniques, especially in the integrated MEMS sector.