News
Ffotoneg Completes InP Process Development R&D Project Part Funded by Welsh Government
30 July 2025
Ffotoneg Ltd has concluded a three-month R&D project investigating front-end fabrication processes for the development of challenging grating structures used in laser diodes made from compound semiconductor materials based on Indium Phosphide. The project was part funded by a Welsh Government SMART Flexible Innovation Support (Level 1) grant, in preparation for a programme of further R&D innovation to develop in-house processes for custom device development for our customers.
The project explored processes to develop grating feature sizes down to 100 nm using electron beam lithography, and etched to depths of over 1 μm, which present challenging aspect ratios. Design of Experiments included investigating different electron beam resists and doses. The results of the project have helped establish a baseline for work on customer devices and areas of exploration in future internal R&D in this area.
Dr. Ali Anjomshoaa, Ffotoneg founder and CEO, said:
“Welsh Government’s SMART FIS support for innovation is an invaluable mechanism by which Welsh businesses can take risks in their R&D roadmaps towards creating new products and processes. As an early stage, R&D intensive company working in semiconductors, our work carries substantial technical risks in a sector where innovation faces considerable costs. This SMART FIS grant has enabled us to reduce the risks related to this project and to inform our longer term R&D roadmap to offer challenging front-end fabrication processes to our customers.”
About Ffotoneg Ltd
Ffotoneg Ltd is a Compound Semiconductor Photonics start-up company set up in the heart of the Compound Semiconductor Cluster in Cardiff, South Wales, in 2023. Working closely with epitaxy and fabrication partners, our mission is to help our customers to make their designs and developments manufacturing ready and fabricate them in the UK.
About Welsh Government SMART Flexible Innovation Support
The Welsh Government SMART Flexible Innovation Support (SMART FIS) Programme, helps Welsh businesses, research organisations, academia and public and third sector bodies to innovate, create new products and services, and improve skills, helping to develop RD&I capability and capacity to support sustainable growth. Investment is targeted towards activity which will help deliver the missions laid out in the Welsh Government’s new innovation strategy, Wales Innovates.