Opto-electronic semiconductor foundry CST Global Ltd. and the University of Galsgow have entered into a collaboration to run a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) machine within its foundry facility. “This MOCVD machine facilitates research projects in advanced semiconductor materials and devices, in both electronics and photonics,” said Neil Martin, CEO of CST Global. “It is increasingly critical to successful photonics research to consider the needs of volume production. Our collaboration provides a route for research projects to reach commercially viable volumes, leveraging CST Global’s worldwide customer base. Installing the MOCVD machine at CST Global also means our foundry services are readily available for projects, when required and safely managed within an ISO 9001:2015 quality environment. The University of Glasgow will own the machine, which CST Global will install and operate. Usage and operating costs will be shared. “Our agreement with the University of Glasgow means we can use the MOCVD to provide epitaxial overgrowth services to customers when it is not being used for research projects,” Martin said. “It brings this process in-house and within our control, reducing our laser production cost-base and improving delivery times. Joint academic and commercial partnerships of this type are new in the photonics industry, providing a lower risk alternative to conventional commercialization routes. Additionally, students have the opportunity to gain experience of working within a commercial environment, learning about adjacent technologies and rubbing shoulders with our expert team. It also provides CST Global with a potential, specialist, post-graduate recruitment pool of exceptional staff.” CST Global is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sivers IMA Holding and a developer, manufacturer and seller of cutting-edge chips, components, modules and subsystems based on proprietary advanced semiconductor technology in microwave, millimeter wave and optical semiconductors.