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CIL Expands with a New Semiconductor Packaging, Power Device and PCBA Manufacturing Facility in Andover, UK
September 5, 2022 | Custom Interconnect LtdEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
CIL is excited to announce that it is creating an advanced semiconductor packaging, power device and volume PCB Assembly (PCBA) manufacturing facility in the UK. Supported by £9M in capital investment the 46,000sq ft is in addition to its existing 34,000sq ft, giving CIL over 80,000sq ft in Andover, UK. Following the first stage six-month fit out of its ISO7 (Class 10,000) cleanroom totalling 15,000sq ft and associated offices, all of CIL’s micro-electronics production and power device development will relocate to the new facility in March 2023.
CIL has seen very strong demand for its micro-electronics and electronic assembly capability through the COVID period. Coupled with its InnovateUK supported innovation programs that are focussed 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 PCBA. 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. They are all focussed on more efficient power electronics in support on Net Zero. The technologies span a range of sectors including automotive, rail, aerospace and space, 5G Communications and data-centre infrastructure. Since 2019, CIL has increased its specialist engineering department from 8 to 30 engineers with further plans to double it again over the next 3 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 Integrated circuit (IC) design community, but very little UK based packaging capability able to deal with development, low volume and high-volume production, the new facility is the first stage in CIL addressing this capacity requirement.
As well as the additional capacity, CIL is also increasing its process capability as it adds equipment such as a DISCO DAD 3361 dicing saw, Boschman UNISTAR Automatic Film Assisted Plastic Overmold and Scheugenpflug VDS U1000 / LP804 VDU Auto epoxy fill system with more to equipment and processes to come. Once commissioned, this equipment will enable CIL to offer UK-based wafer dicing, full device overmold service for devices such as QFN’s etc, partial device overmold and SiC and GaN based power module potting manufactured within a UK-based, UK-owned facility.
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