ANDOVER, UK -- Custom Interconnect Ltd. announced it is creating an advanced semiconductor packaging, power device and volume printed circuit board assembly manufacturing facility in the UK.

Supported by £9 million ($10.3 million) in capital investment, the 46,000 sq. ft. addition will bring the company's factory to 80,000 sq. ft. in Andover.

Following the first stage six-month build-out of its ISO Class 7 (Class 10,000) cleanroom totaling 15,000 sq. ft. and associated offices, all of CIL’s microelectronics production and power device development will relocate to the new facility in March 2023. CIL has seen very strong demand for its microelectronics and electronic assembly capability through the Covid period. Coupled with its InnovateUK-supported innovation programs, which are focused on strategic areas including power device development and compound semiconductor technology, CIL has generated the demand for this investment in increased capacity and capability.

Starting with InnovateUK joint funded project “GaNSiC” in 2019 and then followed by APC15 project “@FutureBEV” in 2020, CIL has been supporting the development of GaN and SiC based power modules, discrete devices and associated power PCBAs. These two projects have been catalysts to significant further R&D projects that have been supported by national funding programs including the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), Driving the Electric Revolution centre (DER-IC), DCMS and InnovateUK.

These projects/technologies are all focused on more efficient power electronics in support on Net Zero and span a range of sectors including automotive, rail, aerospace and space, 5G communications and data-center infrastructure.

Since 2019, CIL has increased its specialty engineering department to 30 engineers from eight, with plans to double it again over the next three years. This investment in engineering skills coupled with the additional unique processing equipment, will create one of the UK’s largest independent semiconductor packaging facilities, and will accommodate both world leading development labs and full volume production areas. The UK has a thriving IC design community, but very little UK-based packaging capability able to deal with development, low volume and high-volume production, and the new facility is the first stage in CIL addressing this capacity requirement.

By March 2023 the stage 1 fit out will be complete and CIL will then relocate its micro-electronic production and power module and device development to this new facility.

During stage 2, commencing in spring 2023, CIL will add 15,000 more sq. ft. of manufacturing space dedicated to both GaN/SiC module/device and volume PCBA production required by existing and new customer demand combined with the production readiness of a number of the InnovateUK R&D projects.

The new facility will eventually house 120 engineers, production technicians and related support staff.

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