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Case Study

Silson Ltd + University of Glasgow

To embed expertise in group III-V and group IV semiconductor materials, allowing for the creation of new products within Silson.

Scanning Electron Microscope at Silson - used for high resolution imaging of nanoscale features

Silson Ltd

Established in 1994, Silson is a world leader in the manufacture and sale of ultra-thin membranes and related consumables for scientific R&D. Principle scientific sectors include x-ray and electron microscopy and accelerator mass spectrometry.

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What was the need?

The Challenge

The primary challenge lies in the radical shift in material science and fabrication complexity. Current membranes (SiN, SiC) are largely chosen for their mechanical robustness and chemical inertness. However, they lack the material properties required for optical emission/absorption which are crucial for next gen sensing.

To bridge this gap, we must overcome several technical hurdles:

  • Fabrication Scalability: Translating high-precision III-V growth and etching processes from a laboratory environment to Silson’s industrial manufacturing scale without compromising membrane integrity.
  • Structural Stability: III-V materials are generally more brittle than Silicon. Developing robust back-etching techniques to create large-area, ultra-thin membranes that can withstand vacuum environments and high-intensity beam exposure is critical.

Functional Integration: The core difficulty is not just making the membrane, but doing so while maintaining the material's active properties (optical luminescence or electrical conductivity) to allow for future device integration.

What did we do?

The Solution

The solution is a structured transfer of knowledge from the University of Glasgow’s James Watt Nanofabrication Centre to Silson. We will develop a standardised III-V membrane manufacturing toolkit that utilises epitaxial growth on sacrificial layers to achieve precise thickness control and surface quality.

Key components of the solution include:

  • Process Development (Technical Solution): Establishing optimised wet and/or dry etching chemistries that provide high selectivity, ensuring the device layer remains pristine after the substrate is removed.
  • Safety & Regulatory Framework: Designing and documenting "safe-to-operate" workflows tailored to the specific hazards of III-V materials. This includes implementing COSHH-compliant chemical handling, specialised waste management, and formalised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure the process is repeatable and fully compliant with UK health and safety regulations.
  • Characterisation & Performance Validation: Implementing a specialised characterisation and quality check setups and workflows to ensure product output standards adhere to customer expectations post fabrication.
  • Staff Training and Upskilling: Establishing a training program to embed the University’s III-V nanofabrication expertise within Silson’s team, ensuring the company can troubleshoot and iterate on III-V products autonomously.

By the end of this KTP, Silson will have the in-house expertise to handle, manufacture and market these III-V platforms, expanding the company outputs into the burgeoning quantum and photonics sectors.

What changed?

The Impacts and Benefits

Impacts for the Company

The most significant impact of this KTP is the establishment of a permanent, high-spec industrial infrastructure for III-V semiconductor processing within Silson. Rather than simply adding a single new product to the catalogue, this project builds a versatile "capability platform" that allows Silson to move beyond its traditional Silicon-based roots, towards active materials and devices.

  • Strategic Capability Diversification: Silson will acquire the technical "know-how" and physical infrastructure to process complex compound semiconductors in-house. This internal capability allows the company to rapidly prototype and develop membranes for a vast range of future applications with reduced reliance on external fabrication facilities.
  • Customisation: With a robust III-V processing platform in place, the company can respond to bespoke client requests for diverse materials and functionalities, significantly shortening the R&D cycle for new projects.

Long-term Market Resilience: This infrastructure serves as a strategic futureproofing tool. As industries shift toward quantum sensing, advanced photonics, and optoelectronics, Silson will already possess the foundational platform required to be a key player in these emerging supply chains.

 

Impacts for the Academic Team

For the University of Glasgow, this partnership provides a rare and valuable pathway for impact and knowledge exchange, translating decade-long research in III-V semiconductors into a real-world commercial environment.

Key impacts include:

  • Research Validation: The project provides concrete evidence of "Research Impact" for the Research Excellence Framework (REF), demonstrating that the University's nanofabrication expertise has directly contributed to UK industrial growth and product innovation.
  • High-Impact Publications: Data generated during the scale-up and characterisation of these membranes will lead to high-impact joint publications in journals focused on materials science, microscopy, and semiconductor engineering.
  • Curriculum Enrichment: Case studies from the KTP can be provided to students, giving real-world examples of the industrialisation of nanotechnology.

New Research Avenues: Feedback from Silson’s global customer base will highlight new technical requirements, seeding future grant applications and PhD projects.

 

Impacts for the KTP Associate

  • Hybrid Skill Set: Gaining a rare professional profile that blends high-level academic nanofabrication skills and material/device knowledge with industrial project and people management, quality control, and commercial strategy.
  • Leadership Development: Taking full ownership of establishing a new manufacturing process, including managing the infrastructure transition, safety compliance, and staff training at Silson.
  • Professional Certification: Access to the KTP’s dedicated management training budget, which can be used to gain recognised qualifications in project management and advanced semiconductor processing.
  • Mastery of Industrial Safety & Compliance: Developing expertise in the safety-critical management of III-V hazardous materials, a niche competency that is vital for industrial semiconductor manufacturing and highly valued across the tech sector.
  • Commercialisation & Supply Chain Insight: Gaining direct experience in the transition from lab-scale prototypes to market-ready products, including managing supplier relationships and optimising yields for industrial profitability.
  • Career Fast-Track: Will be well positioned as the "in-house expert" for Silson's most advanced product line, creating a clear pathway toward a senior leadership or R&D management role within the company post-KTP.

 

The People

Meet the Team

Dr Aneirin Ellis

KTP Associate

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Peter Anastasi

Company Supervisor

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Prof Stephen Sweeney

Knowledge Base Supervisor

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