£1.34million awarded for microwave transistor project

The investment, through the Board's High Value Manufacturing funding competition will help fund a £3m project to develop a new diamond based high power, high temperature microwave transistor. It will also be used to build a demonstrator microwave pulsed power amplifier capable of more than 100W output power. The project, dubbed Microwave Power using Diamond (MPower-D), also involves Element Six, MBDA UK, the University of Sheffield and INEX. Element Six, a specialist in diamond synthesis technology is developing the diamond material and INEX will continue subcontracted work for DMD, further developing the diamond processing technology. Diamond transistors being developed in this project could be used in power amplifiers for microwave signals in communications, space and defence applications. General manager of DMD, Dr Richard Lang, pictured, said: "We are delighted to receive this significant backing for our work on the next generation of microwave transistors based on innovative diamond material and device concepts. It marks the next phase in the company's development and our ambitions to bring breakthrough technology into a key market area." DMD and its partners bid for the funding against stiff competition for the limited funds. When the successful projects were announced, Iain Gray, chief executive of the Technology Strategy Board, said, "This investment is intended to maintain and develop the international competitiveness of UK manufacturing companies against a backdrop where manufacturing often gravitates to countries with the lowest overall costs. Manufacturing in high wage economies, such as the UK, has to continue to innovate and change to remain competitive. It's also important to ensure that companies continue to innovate during the downturn to ensure a successful recovery for the UK economy." DMD was set up in 2006 and is currently an E6 Ventures portfolio company.