Semiconductor manufacturers moving into the 2 nm process are facing challenges in accurately measuring the dimensions of key components, such as transistor structure, size and film thickness. The Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has coordinated with the British Office Taipei in jointly promoting cooperation between Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and a leading UK manufacturing company.
Both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a joint laboratory of leading-edge metrology and inspection technology used in semiconductor measurements. The signatories intend to integrate the joint R&D capabilities of ITRI and the UK company, laying the foundation for next-generation semiconductor measurement capacities.
According to statistics, the size of the market for semiconductor measurement and testing equipment in 2020 was US$4.1647 billion, and it is expected to reach US$5.3734 billion by 2026. The DoIT stressed that based on Taiwan’s cutting edge in its complete semiconductor industry chain and 2 nm manufacturing technology, the constitutes a milestone in the advanced measurement of semiconductors and will accelerate the development of inspection technologies.
The company is a world-renowned multinational instrument and equipment manufacturer, providing advanced products and services around the world, while ITRI possesses the world’s leading semiconductor measurement technology.
ITRI has been dedicated to R&D projects spanning semiconductor and optoelectronic industry chains. Presently, it has developed excellent technical inspection capabilities in scale-down to 2-3 nm wafer manufacturing. ITRI and the U.K manufacturing company forged a strong cooperative relationship and leveraged the strengths of each other which set the basis for a new round of cooperation.
This time we will work on cutting-edge measurement technology for advanced manufacturing processes and key tools in monitoring yields in mass production. We hope that the cooperation between Taiwan and the UK will accelerate the technological progress of both sides and open new horizons for the semiconductor industry.
– Alex Y.M. Peng
The importance of semiconductors has now become abundantly clear to people around the world. Taiwan is already well known as a world leader in semiconductors and ITRI is playing an instrumental role in developing the Taiwanese semiconductor industry.
The development of semiconductor technology is focused on miniaturisation, high performance, and low power consumption. In particular, 3D chip stacking design has been a profound breakthrough. By relying on the well-established inspection capabilities of ITRI, the company will continue to develop state-of-the-art technology for the next generation of semiconductor materials.
Amid the ever-changing development of semiconductor technology, advanced measurement technology will be seen as a key to success in semiconductor manufacturing. It will highlight the role of measurement technology in system integration and cross-field innovation, further assisting the industry in transition and upgrading.
As reported by OpenGov Asia, ITRI earlier partnered with a U.K. manufacturing and research company signed a cooperative research project on the development of next-gen compound semiconductors. This agreement will help develop a new industry chain for compound semiconductors in Taiwan to create new opportunities in the global market as well as complement the R&D capacities of both sides. ITRI and the U.K. manufacturing company began cooperation on precision testing analysis 15 years ago and have achieved excellent results in multiple fields
This collaboration will enhance the growth of the next-gen semiconductor supply chain in Taiwan, allowing research and development to be implemented in system integration and multidisciplinary innovation. This will further boost the industrial transformation and economic development of Taiwan. This collaboration in compound semiconductors will open the door to some really exciting advanced technologies including electric vehicles, 5G and other wireless technologies, and even the power converters on wind turbines.
