Plans to create the world’s first compound semiconductor (CS) cluster in South Wales have been boosted by a £10 million investment.

Every mobile phone that operates on 3G or above contains a number of CS chips for the communication processes, alongside traditional silicon chips that handle basic functions such as memory.

Funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) will put Cardiff University at the forefront of research into CS technologies, when it opens its Compound Semiconductor Centre (CSC) — in partnership with semiconductor wafer manufacturer IQE — in 2018.

Professor Peter Smowton said: “This will provide Europe-leading facilities that will translate research into large-scale CS growth and device fabrication. Many advances in our daily lives depend upon CS technology.

“A new manufacturing hub will allow Cardiff and its partner universities and companies to continue to develop technology that enables emerging trends, such as self-drive vehicles and 5G communications.”

Drew Nelson, chief executive of Cardiff-based IQE, said: “We produced CS materials for 10 billion wireless chips last year, underpinning the world-wide mobile communications industry.

“The manufacturing hub will allow us to exploit the highly advantageous electronic, magnetic, optical and power-handling properties of compound semiconductors while using the cost and scaling advantage of silicon technology where it fits best.”