Location: Midlands
Loughborough University has been an international leader in High Value Manufacturing (HVM) research, where electronics manufacturing is a central contributor to a leading-edge PEMD research portfolio in the areas of control systems, energy systems and advanced materials and manufacturing. The University works closely with industry through funded research and exploitation of cutting-edge technologies across aerospace, energy, marine, rail and automotive industrial sectors.
In collaboration with national and international research teams, Loughborough’s researchers focus on the imperative demands aligned with future generation power systems of wide bandgap devices (SiC, GaN), delivering Advanced Interconnect Materials (AIMs) and manufacturing routes for heterogeneous integration of high power, high-efficiency, high-performance but low-cost systems. The University’s innovative and holistic solutions to the key technological challenges are underpinned by insights into failure mechanisms due to complex coupled Mechanical, Electrical and Thermal (MET) loadings, to enable optimum design and development of materials and processes.
Key strengths and unique capabilities
- High temperature Pb-free solders
- Materials and processes for die- and substrate- attach
- Modelling to underpin failure mechanisms and thermal management
- Surface, interface and interlayer technologies
- Quasi-ambient bonding processes eg. TLPB, SPER bonding
- Materials characterisation.
- Control of electric machines
- Efficient modelling of electric machines for automotive applications
- Control of hybrid powertrains
- Vehicle integration
- Structural transmission.
- 3D printing of customised magnetic components
- Selective laser melting of silicon steel eg. Fe-Si alloy.
- Heterogenous integration
- Development of potting compounds
- Thermal management
- Materials and processes for manufacturing.
- Heterogenous integration
- Energy transmission and distribution
- Low-carbon technology power electronic interfaces for low-voltage (LV) grids
- Noise and vibration
- Motor whining noise
- Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) driven noise.
The Electronics Manufacturing Research Group at Loughborough University works with industry to develop Advanced Interconnect Materials (AIMs), which are manufacturable, reliable and affordable.
The research group conducts the underpinning research into advanced materials and manufacturing processes to enable 3D heterogeneous embodiment, integration and miniaturisation of future generation complex multifunctional devices.
Equipment
This bonding system allows the incorporation of ultrasonic vibration during bonding, soldering or sintering process under controlled temperature and pressure.
An auto-lab electrochemical system which can treat the surface of components for modification and coatings to enable robust interfacial bonding.
Helios G4 PFIB delivers unmatched capabilities for large volume 3D characterization, Ga+free sample preparation and precise micromachining. Helios G4 PFIB UXe is part of the fourth generation of the industry-leading Helios DualBeam family. It combines the new PFIB 2.0 column and the Monochromated Elstar™ SEM column to deliver the most advanced focused ion- and electron-beam performance.