University of Aberdeen and Oxford Instruments Nanotechnology Tools Limited KTP 24_25 R4

A plasma processing reactor—the kind of tool that etches microscopic patterns onto silicon wafers—gets coated in chemical residue during use, and cleaning it currently takes hours and uses environmentally harmful gases. This project aims to develop a faster, targeted cleaning method that cuts downtime and replaces those damaging materials. The team will transfer expertise in plasma chemistry and computer modelling from the University of Aberdeen to Oxford Instruments Nanotechnology Tools, a company that builds these reactors. They will also create a digital model of the cleaning process, allowing the company to optimise it without running endless physical experiments. If successful, the work could directly increase the company’s market share by making its tools more efficient to operate. The broader impact is on semiconductor manufacturing—a sector that underpins everything from smartphones to medical devices. Faster, cleaner reactor maintenance means fewer production delays and a smaller environmental footprint for the chips that quietly run modern infrastructure. This is applied industrial research with a clear commercial and environmental payoff.