News: Suppliers
17 April 2025
CSA Catapult’s head of advanced packaging technology appointed visiting professor at UK’s universities of Bristol and Strathclyde
Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult says that Dr Jayakrishnan (Jay) Chandrappan, its head of technology – advanced packaging, has been appointed visiting industrial professor at the University of Bristol and visiting professor at the University of Strathclyde.
Established in 2018 by government agency Innovate UK, CSA Catapult is a not-for-profit center of excellence that specializes in the measurement, characterization, integration and validation of compound semiconductor technology spanning power electronics, advanced packaging, radio frequency and microwave, and photonics applications.
As an authority on advance semiconductor packaging, Chandrappan will advise the universities on research strategy and industrial engagement, providing expert advice on unit development and academic roadmaps, and fostering collaboration with industry in the UK and abroad.
Picture: Jayakrishnan Chandrappan.
At the University of Strathclyde’s Faculty of Engineering, Chandrappan will consult and direct the commissioning of an advanced semiconductor packaging pilot line at the National Manufacturing Insitute Scotland (NMIS).
NMIS recently received £9m from Innovate UK to develop a new advanced packaging scale-up line for power electronic semiconductors.
This new capability, run in conjunction with CSA Catapult and a first in Europe, will support the faster production of semiconductor chips, reducing packaging times for UK firms from months to just days.
“Jay brings enormous knowledge and experience to the work in further development of the advanced semiconductor packaging line at Strathclyde,” says professor Matt Boyle OBE, director of the NMIS at the University of Strathclyde. “We look forward to working with Jay and the Catapult in expanding and growing UK packaging at scale and the economic benefits that will be developed for our users and partners.”
Chandrappan will also provide strategic direction at Strathclyde, helping to develop the academic roadmap to support the creation of a smart, leading-edge partner manufacturing capability. This will include AI, design and digital expertise, and he will also help to develop international partnerships, including collaborations with Singapore and Malaysia.
At Bristol, Chandrappan will support development in areas related to advanced semiconductor packaging and fabrication and contribute to future program development. The role will also include dedicated time in the lecture theatre.
“Semiconductor technologies lie at the heart of our research and teaching and Jay’s extensive industrial experience will be a great help in developing our future plans,” comments professor Martin Cryan, joint head of the Photonics and Quantum Research group in the School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering.
In his role at CSA Catapult, Chandrappan leads a team developing semiconductor packaging solutions focussed on package design, modeling, micro-assembly and rapid prototyping. He is said to have a strong track record of driving innovation and strategic R&D, contributing to the advancement of cutting-edge semiconductor technologies to the market.
Chandrappan is described as a recognised expert in semiconductor material engineering and has held leadership and technology roles at organizations including GlobalFoundries Inc in the USA, the Institute of Microelectronics (IME) at A*STAR Singapore, and the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology in India.
A co-founder of two startups, Chandrappan has been awarded Europe’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship and the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Emerging Technology Showcase Award.
Chandrappan already serves as an external advisory board member for the University of Bristol and the University of Leeds in the UK. He is also a Board of Studies member at Cochin University of Science & Technology (CUSAT) in India. Additionally, he is an active member of SEMI, the Europe APC Committee, and the International Microelectronics Assembly & Packaging Society (IMAPS) UK Chapter.
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