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REVERSING FORTUNES FOR THE BELEAGUERED TELECOMMS INDUSTRY

01/10/2003

"The current situation cannot continue. It has been a significant contributor to the recent downturn in the telecoms industry. "

Dr Carl Griffiths, of Bangor-based ORS Ltd, believes his invention could help to reverse the fortunes of the beleaguered telecommunications industries.

He is developing a new way of monitoring and controlling the production of semiconductors that form the very foundation of the tiny but crucial items at the heart of all electronics goods, from mobile phones to PCs.

Semiconductors are grown in banks of 'reactors' but currently, manufacturers accept that just one fifth of those produced will actually be good enough to use, resulting in massive wastage.

Dr Griffiths' EpiEYE2000^TM monitors the semiconductor as it grows, allowing operators to spot potential problems and act to salvage the situation.

Because of the inherent waste within current production methods, a high premium is placed on semi conductors, making them expensive.

The EpiEYE2000^TM not only enables staff to make instant changes to alter results, but also means that one operator can be responsible for a bank of reactors, rather than the one-to-one attention presently needed.

Dr Griffiths says: "The current situation cannot continue. It has been a significant contributor to the recent downturn in the telecoms industry.

"Manufacturers have been looking at ways of significantly increasing their yield, but optical monitoring is probably the only realistic way of achieving this. This could revolutionise the production of electronics equipment for years to come if combined with closed-loop control in new reactor designs."

Designed specifically for thin film process control, the EpiEYE2000^TM consists of a compact interferometer which is wavelength and intensity stabilised, a programmable electronic control module and one of two unique software bundles.

The noise-to-signal ratio of the interferometer is typically 0.1%, making it one of the most sensitive instruments in its class.

NESTA is supporting the project alongside Finance Wales, which is also investing £60,000. NESTA Invention and Innovation Director Mark White said: "NESTA seeks out the most innovative ideas from around Britain and gives them the chance to flourish. We are delighted to support a project which has the potential to make a huge impact within the electronics industry."