News: Microelectronics
18 June 2025
IQE and Quinas complete Innovate UK-funded £1.1m ULTRARAM industrialization project
Epiwafer and substrate maker IQE plc of Cardiff, Wales, UK and Quinas Technology Ltd (which was spun off from Lancaster University in early 2023) have completed a £1.1m joint project funded by Innovate UK (which provides funding and support for business innovation as part of UK Research and Innovation) to develop a scalable production method for the world’s first quantum-powered universal memory ULTRARAM.
Innovate UK awarded the consortium (which included Lancaster and Cardiff Universities) a grant for the one-year project, with Quinas coordinating and the majority of funding deployed with IQE. The project saw IQE scale up the manufacture of compound semiconductor layers initially developed by Lancaster University to an industrial process, the first step towards the commercial production of packaged ULTRARAM chips. IQE hence developed an advanced capability in gallium antimonide (GaSb) and aluminium antimonide (AlSb) epitaxy, representing a world-first for scalable epitaxy for memory devices.
ULTRARAM, a dual-use technology that was invented at Lancaster University, combines the non-volatility of a data storage memory, such as flash, with the speed and endurance of a working memory, such as DRAM, while providing significantly improved energy efficiency. ULTRARAM’s target applications will include artificial intelligence, quantum computing, space and defence.
The ULTRARAM project aligns with the UK Government’s semiconductor strategy to boost domestic innovation and build sovereign capabilities in key semiconductor technologies. The partners are now exploring further industrialization and pilot production with foundries and strategic collaborators.
“We have successfully achieved our goal of developing a scalable epitaxy process for ULTRARAM, a milestone towards industrial production of packaged chips,” says IQE’s CEO Jutta Meier. “This project represents a unique opportunity to bring the next generation of compound semiconductor materials to life in the UK and we are proud of our work with Quinas, Lancaster and Cardiff Universities to advance commercial production and create world-leading universal memory devices,” she adds.
“This project marks a turning point in the journey from university research to commercial memory products,” says Quinas’ CEO James Ashforth-Pook. “With IQE’s industrial capabilities and Innovate UK’s support, we have taken a critical step toward building sovereign capability in memory – the most strategically vital yet underrepresented segment of the UK semiconductor stack,” he adds. “ULTRARAM’s potential to radically improve energy efficiency in AI, mobile and data-center applications positions Britain as a leader in next-generation memory innovation.”
ULTRARAM memory demonstrated on silicon wafers for first time
