£7 million funding for remarkable tool to drive next-generation AI

A landmark investment in the UK’s semiconductor infrastructure is set with the procurement of an Electron-Beam Lithography (EBL) tool by the University of Edinburgh.

The new technology ensures that the Scottish Microelectronics Centre (SMC), based at the University’s School of Engineering, will continue to be a leading centre for semiconductor prototyping and production for the next 50 years.

This state-of-the-art system enables the fabrication of advanced semiconductor devices with nanoscale precision – critical for prototyping high-performance computer chips for AI applications.

The EBL tool was acquired through a strategic partnership with JEOL Ltd., supported by a capital grant from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Driving the next half-century of innovation

The JEOL JBX-8100FS G3, which will enable the world’s first AI-driven EBL nanopatterning tool, will be housed within the Scottish Microelectronics Centre (SMC) at the University’s School of Engineering.

Improving computer chip manufacturing

Microchips are made by etching complex circuit patterns onto silicon wafers. Traditionally, the process involves using ultraviolet light through a photomask that functions as a stencil.

However, with an E-beam, which generates a finely focused beam of electrons, it is possible to directly draw much more detailed patterns — enabling features that are 50,000 times thinner than a human hair. This allows researchers to prototype more energy-efficient electronic components directly onto silicon wafers faster, without the need for expensive photomasks.

Powering next-generation AI and self-driving labs

The EBL will position the University of Edinburgh at the forefront of developing next-generation AI compute — specialised computer hardware essential for running emerging AI models.

Crucially, this tool will be integrated into the University's vision for an ‘AI-assisted’ lab in which AI doesn't just design the chips, it also manages the machinery to fabricate and test them in a continuous feedback loop.

Building on the AI for Productive Research & Innovation in eLectronics (APRIL) AI Hub’ s capabilities, this closed-loop system will speed up the discovery of new materials and hardware configurations far beyond what human researchers could achieve on their own.

A national pilot-line for prototyping computer hardware

By combining the use of the EBL tool with its expertise in AI, the University of Edinburgh is launching a dedicated pilot-line service to support the development of experimental hardware that aims to overcome the inherent limitations of current semiconductor technologies.

This new service offers early career researchers across the UK the opportunity to prototype and test innovative chip designs, thus helping to bridge the gap between laboratory research and industrial application.

Professor Themis Prodromakis, Regius Chair of Engineering and Head of the Institute for Integrated Micro and Nano Systems (IMNS), said: “This strategic investment, delivered in partnership with JEOL, is a game-changer for the UK's semiconductor landscape.

“By combining this unique tool with Edinburgh’s world-leading expertise in semiconductor technologies and AI, we are creating a factory of brilliance. We aren't just designing the AI of the future, we are building the physical hardware that will make it faster, more powerful, and more sustainable.”

ENDS

For further information and press enquiries, please contact: Rhona Crawford, Press and PR Office, University of Edinburgh. Email: rhona.crawford@ed.ac.uk