Institute of Pioneer Semiconductor Innovation (IPSI)
The IPSI integrates the outstanding faculty in semiconductor and electronics fields from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. It has established two research and technology groups:
- Area A-Nanodevice and Process Group (Abbreviated as: Device Group)
- Area B-Chip Design and Automation Group (Abbreviated as: Chip Group)
The introduction of each research group is described as follows.
Semiconductor manufacturing is a cornerstone and a strategic advantage of Taiwan’s industry, and it continues to drive the rapid advancement of the electronics technology sector. Emerging applications such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, 5G communications, and autonomous vehicles all rely on core advanced semiconductor technologies. Semiconductor technology is now poised to transition from the nanometer era to the Ångström era, bringing numerous technical challenges and opportunities for innovation. Since the predecessor of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, National Chiao Tung University, successfully fabricated Taiwan’s first transistor, our university has been a cradle for cultivating semiconductor talent for decades, leading the nation in related technological research.
This group is dedicated to the development and integration of advanced nano-devices and heterostructure channel devices, novel materials and electronic device physics, advanced packaging, 3D transistor or interconnect architectures. Our work integrates semiconductor devices, material etching processes, packaging technologies, core semiconductor technologies, and industry trends.
The group’s curriculum and research plan cover both breadth and depth. In terms of breadth, students are guided to understand several of the most important directions in current semiconductor technology development, including advanced logic, memory, and third-generation semiconductors. In terms of depth, students cultivate cross-layer knowledge, from fundamental novel physics and material properties, core device design and fabrication processes, to higher-level circuit and system applications. This combination of breadth and depth, along with close interaction with the domestic industry, ensures that students in this group not only become highly skilled engineers capable of solving complex problems but also emerge as innovative leaders for the Ångström-era semiconductor industry. The group embodies the spirit of industry-academia collaborative innovation promoted by the College of Innovation and Industry-Academia Research. It integrates the rich resources and excellent faculty of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in semiconductor devices and processes, in collaboration with industry-academia research centers and leading semiconductor manufacturers in Taiwan, to cultivate the next generation of semiconductor device and process talent, shaping the future leaders in cutting-edge semiconductor technology.
Integrated circuits (ICs) have been widely applied in consumer electronics, automotive, and defense industries, serving as a key factor in determining the performance of electronic products and national competitiveness. With the advent of the 6G intelligent communication, sensing, and big data era, there is an increasing demand for talent in IC design for high-performance computing, ultra-wideband communications, and system-level applications.
This group focuses on electronic design automation, optimized chip system design, AI-assisted chip system design, analog ICs and sensor systems, high-speed digital transmission ICs, AI accelerators, biomedical ICs, IC reliability technologies, millimeter-wave communication and radar ICs and systems, data converters, power management, and related fields. By integrating physical knowledge with system applications, we explore SoC architectures and circuit microarchitectures to achieve optimization of overall performance, power, and area. Through interdisciplinary research and industry collaboration, the group leads next-generation IC innovation.
The goal of talent cultivation in this group is to train IC designers capable of supporting next-generation semiconductor processes and system applications. In addition to teaching IC design techniques and fostering research capabilities in IC design, students are guided to engage in cross-disciplinary deep research exchanges and collaborations with the Device Group and the Institute of Intelligent Systems. Through the application of various AI technologies, students gain hands-on experience in automated chip design and manufacturing, developing both deep mathematical and physical knowledge and broad, system-level design and manufacturing perspectives.
The faculty and researchers in this group have extensive experience in executing large-scale industry-academia collaboration projects and international cooperation, and have transferred multiple technologies to the industry. Within the open industry-academia collaboration framework of the College of Innovation and Industry-Academia Research, the group plans to recruit IC design experts from industry as adjunct instructors, jointly cultivating highly skilled next-generation IC designers who are well-prepared for both academic and industrial applications.