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Silicon Glen
Scotland's electronics industry
Silicon Glen is the term given to the area in the central
region of Scotland which houses the majority of the country's
electronics industry, 'Glen' being the Scottish word for
valley. For nearly half a century, Scotland has been at
the forefront of the electronics revolution. In that time
we have been attracting global players and providing people
with the skills, energy, drive and enthusiasm to create
a dynamic and thriving industry that is significant in
both its impact on the Scottish economy and its contribution
to the global market place. Scotland is now home to approximately
420 electronics companies.
While other countries choose to wait-and-see, Scotland
is already implementing the standards that will benefit
microelectronics companies for years to come. The Alba
Centre plays one of the key roles in implementing these
changes, by driving the future of electronic design. Other
industry-leading initiatives include the Scottish Microelectronics
Centre and Compound Semiconductor Technologies, both described
below.
Scottish Microelectronics Centre (SMC)
The Centre provides unrivalled opportunities for any companies
involved in the commercial development of new microelectronics
based product or application ideas. The clean room facilities
are world class and supported by highly experienced technicians.
While there is excellent office accommodation within the
incubation facilities, major fabrication related capabilities
within the department include:
- G-line, I-line and e-beam
lithography
- Multilevel interconnect
technology including Damascene CMP
- Electrical and
SEM characterisation equipment
- Sub micron CMOS device
technology
- Micro systems
technology (bulk and surface) including deep RIE
- Deep RIE of Silicon and
double sided alignment
- FIB (Focused Ion
Beam) chip repair
More details can be found at http://www.scotmicrocentre.co.uk
Compound Semiconductor Technologies
Compound Semiconductor Technologies (CST) was formed in
1998 to develop leading edge technologies and services,
commercialise University research and create new companies
in the expanding field of compound semiconductors.
To achieve this objective, CST has brought together the
two world-class research departments from the University
of Glasgow and the University of Strathclyde to operate
within a new £7.5 million research centre, cleanroom and
manufacturing facility located in the West of Scotland
Science Park, Glasgow.
The only unit of its type in Europe, CST is now recognised
as the flagship project for the optoelectronics industry
in the UK. It will act as a catalyst for innovation and
'portal-hub' linking Scottish academia with the world
wide optoelectronics industry.
More details can be found at http://www.compoundsemi.co.uk/
For information on electronics companies operating in
Scotland, please visit: http://www.microelectronics.org.uk
For more information on why so many of the world’s largest
electronics firms have chosen to locate their activities
to Scotland please visit: http://www.scotelectronics.com
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