The semiconductor industry is one of the core pillars of Taiwan's technology and economic development, especially in the context of the rapid growth of global high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and 5G communication technologies. Technologies related to advanced packaging, such as heterogeneous integration and chip stacking, have become key to enhancing performance and market competitiveness. To promote deep cooperation between academia and industry, Taiwan Tech held the “Industry-Academia Convergence: Linking the Future - Semiconductor Advanced Packaging Technology Forum” on the 7th, inviting semiconductor industry experts from both Taiwan and abroad to jointly explore the latest development trends in advanced packaging technology and share experiences in technological innovation and applications.

Group photo of the keynote speakers at the Semiconductor Advanced Packaging Technology Forum. From left to right: Moderator, Director of Business Division at KLA Corporation, Hsi-Hsun Ye; General Manager of Scientech Corporation, Hong-Yi Li; Dean of the College of Engineering at Taiwan Tech, Ming-Jyh Chern; General Manager of TAZMO, Guo-Hsiang Liu; Director of the R&D Department at C Sun Manufacturing Ltd.’s Industrial Semiconductor Center, Ming-Zong Chen; Executive Director of SEMI-EMRD at Taiwan Tech, Yu-Cheng Chiu.

The forum invited several frontline representatives from the semiconductor industry to give keynote speeches, providing an in-depth analysis of technological innovations and market changes. It attracted nearly a hundred students, scholars, and industry professionals to join the event. Taiwan Tech President, Jia-Yush Yen, stated that Taiwan's CoWoS technology has been deeply cultivated for many years and is globally unique. It is competitive both in the domestic and international markets and is an important technology for sustainable development in the future. Therefore, facilitating communication between academia and industry through the forum is crucial for deepening technological cooperation and promoting innovative development. Dean of the College of Engineering, Ming-Jyh Chern, mentioned that the Semiconductor Advanced Packaging Technology Forum was specially organized to mark Taiwan Tech's 50th anniversary, responding to the rapid development of semiconductor technology and global industry transformations in recent years. It also brought together industry and academic elites to promote communication and innovative collaboration, further strengthening Taiwan’s competitive advantage in the semiconductor industry.

Taiwan Tech President, Jia-Yush Yen, stated that Taiwan's CoWoS technology has been deeply cultivated for many years and is globally unique. It is competitive both in the domestic and international markets and is an important technology for sustainable development in the future.

The first keynote speech of the forum was delivered by Hong-Yi Li, General Manager of Scientech Corporation, who shared the trends and challenges of heterogeneous integration. He stated that heterogeneous integration technology allows chips to have higher transmission performance, lower power consumption, and smaller chip sizes. However, during the manufacturing process, issues such as cracks, gaps, and warping may arise. Hong-Yi Li said, “We cannot let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch”. Therefore, improving yield and reducing packaging costs caused by defective products for customers has become one of the current key challenges.

Hongyi Li, General Manager of Scientech Corporation, explained that heterogeneous integration technology allows chips to have higher transmission performance while reducing power consumption.

Guo-Hsiang Liu, General Manager of the renowned Japanese semiconductor packaging and testing equipment company TAZMO, discussed “The Applications and Opportunities of Bonding Technology”. He explained that bonding technology can tightly connect two wafers, allowing signals to be transmitted over the shortest distance, thereby reducing power consumption. Bonding technology is widely used in AR/VR, electric vehicles, and AI industries, and as market demand grows, the technology continues to improve. He further pointed out that 2.5D and 3D chip packaging have become mainstream solutions to meet the demands of AI and high-performance computing (HPC). Therefore, semiconductor equipment providers must continuously enhance their core technologies to help customers overcome bottlenecks.

Guo-Hsiang Liu, General Manager of the renowned Japanese semiconductor packaging and testing equipment company TAZMO, stated that bonding technology is widely used in the AR/VR, electric vehicle, and AI industries, and the technology continues to improve.

Ming-Zong Chen, Director of the R&D Department at C Sun Manufacturing Ltd.’s Industrial Semiconductor Center, gave a speech on “The Technological Development Path of AI Chips and Semiconductor Advanced Packaging”. He analyzed the technological development of small chip stacking processes (SoIC) and advanced packaging processes (CoWoS). He mentioned that future technologies will be centered around AI, and currently, the CoWoS production capacity is still unable to meet market demand. Therefore, the semiconductor industry chain is gradually integrating both upstream and downstream. Major wafer manufacturers are investing in advanced packaging, and packaging and testing companies are actively developing related technologies to meet the growing market demand. One of the key focuses for equipment suppliers will be how to stack more logic chips and HBM chips and improve substrate yield.

Ming-Zong Chen, Director of the R&D Department at C Sun Manufacturing Ltd.’s Industrial Semiconductor Center, said that future technologies will be centered around AI. How to stack more logic chips and HBM chips, as well as improve substrate yield, will be key areas that equipment suppliers need to focus on.

Besides the keynote speeches, the forum also arranged a roundtable discussion session, where Ming-Jyh Chern, Dean of the College of Engineering, You-Wen Liang, General Manager of C Sun Manufacturing Ltd, Hui-Hsuan Lu, Spokesperson of Allring Tech Co., Ltd., and Hong-Yi Li, General Manager of Scientech Corporation, engaged in an in-depth discussion on the future challenges of CoWoS technology, global market competition, and talent cultivation. When discussing TSMC's recent announcement of a $100 billion investment in building a new wafer plant and packaging plant in the United States, You-Wen Liang stated that as TSMC's “big ship” heads to the U.S., equipment suppliers will inevitably follow as “sailors”. However, Taiwan's industry must still solidify its technological foundation and enhance competitiveness through intelligence and automation.

The Semiconductor Advanced Packaging Technology Forum specially arranged a roundtable discussion session, allowing industry and academic experts to have an in-depth discussion on the future challenges of CoWoS technology, global market competition, and talent cultivation. From left to right: Roundtable Forum Moderator, Reuters Reporter Wen-Yi Li; Hong-Yi Li, General Manager of Scientech Corporation; Hui-Hsuan Lu, Spokesperson of Allring Tech Co., Ltd.; You-Wen Liang, General Manager of C Sun Manufacturing Ltd.; Ming-Jyh Chern, Dean of the College of Engineering at Taiwan Tech.

Regarding industry-academia collaboration and talent cultivation, Hui-Hsuan Lu, Spokesperson of Allring Tech Co., Ltd., shared that the company collaborates with professors in related fields to allow students to participate in 1-2-year research projects. Upon graduation, they are then integrated into the company, helping to bridge the gap between academia and industry. She emphasized that both the industry and academia should strengthen communication, discover new technologies, and create a win-win situation for technological innovation and talent development.

The forum was organized by the College of Engineering at Taiwan Tech and co-hosted by the Semiconductor Executive MBA and R&D Master's Degree Program (SEMI-EMRD), fully demonstrating Taiwan Tech's mission to promote industry-academia collaboration and advanced talent cultivation. Through the forum, attendees were not only able to engage in in-depth exchanges with industry experts but also stay updated on the latest technological trends, further strengthening the close ties between academia and industry. In the future, Taiwan Tech will continue to deepen industry-academia connections, assist industries in driving technological innovation and talent cultivation, and help Taiwan maintain its leading position in the global semiconductor competition landscape.