Toward Technologies, Inc. concluded its participation in SEMICON Taiwan 2026, held from September 2 to 4 at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 1. Under the theme "RELAY, REDEFINED.," the company showcased a broader switching technology portfolio at booth K3168 and demonstrated its transition from a traditional relay supplier to an advanced switching solution partner.Toward presented high-speed and RF switching technologies, Opto-SiC MOSFET relays, reed relays, solid-state relays, high-speed inductors and modularized switching solutions. The exhibition highlighted the company's capabilities from individual components to integrated switching architectures for semiconductor testing, ATE, probe cards, load boards, RF test, AI/HPC, EV/BMS and high-voltage measurement applications.As AI/HPC, high-speed computing, advanced semiconductor testing, EV/BMS and high-voltage electronics continue to develop, switching components must meet increasingly demanding requirements for frequency performance, signal integrity, low leakage, isolation, switching speed, channel density and system integration. Toward's product portfolio is designed to address these needs across high-frequency, high-voltage and power-related test systems.Broadband Conical Inductor Supports High-Frequency Test InterfacesA featured product was Toward's Broadband Conical Inductor, developed for RF and semiconductor test applications. The solution supports frequencies up to 60 GHz and targets RF/microwave, high-speed semiconductor testing and advanced test interfaces. It can be used in bias tees, DC bias injection networks, RF chokes and broadband test interfaces.For probe cards, load boards, RF test fixtures and other high-frequency platforms, introducing DC bias while minimizing its effect on the RF signal path is an important design challenge. By combining the Broadband Conical Inductor with switching technology, Toward is extending its capabilities from a single relay component to RF signal paths, bias networks and system-level switching architectures.Toward also displayed a Broadband Conical Inductor Module based on its AI-0260 series inductor and ALC series modules. The solution illustrates the company's ability to connect high-frequency component technology with high-speed I/O and test platform integration.Opto-SiC MOSFET Relay Targets High-Voltage TestingToward's Opto-SiC MOSFET Relay is designed for EV, BMS, power semiconductor and high-voltage electronic systems. The product integrates a silicon carbide MOSFET with an optically coupled control architecture. It retains key solid-state relay advantages, including no mechanical contacts, long operating life and high-speed switching, while extending load-voltage capability to the kV range.The relay targets high-voltage testing, measurement-path switching and automated test applications. It supports Toward's strategy of developing switching technologies for electrification and power semiconductor test systems, in addition to conventional relay applications.Multi-Technology Platform Supports Customer DevelopmentToward also presented reed relays, RF MEMS, solid-state relays, high-speed inductor solutions and modularized switching solutions. Different technologies offer different advantages, including low contact resistance, high reliability, compact design, low leakage, high-frequency switching performance and high-voltage capability. This multi-technology platform allows customers to select a switching architecture according to their application requirements rather than being limited to one relay type.As semiconductor test and ATE architectures become more complex, customers need more than a relay datasheet. Toward provides capabilities in relay design, RF and high-speed technology, silicon carbide, packaging, manufacturing, testing and module integration. Its support can extend from application requirements and component selection to sample verification, switching module development and production introduction.This component-to-subsystem approach helps Toward address signal routing, RF path design, bias networks, isolation, channel density and mechanical integration. The company aims to help customers develop switching solutions that match the electrical, thermal, mechanical and testing conditions of each target system.International Collaboration and Future GrowthToward Chairman Hsu said the 2026 event was the company's most successful SEMICON Taiwan participation in more than a decade. He noted that many of the products displayed were developed for future applications and that the company's technology investments are intended to support growth over the next 10 to 20 years.Business partners from Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan and Singapore also visited Toward's booth. Their participation reflected the company's expanding international network. Toward plans to deepen cooperation with customers and technology partners while strengthening its high-speed, RF, high-voltage, power and modularized switching capabilities.Looking ahead, Toward will continue developing solutions for semiconductor test, AI/HPC, EV/BMS, aerospace and defense, industrial automation and medical devices. Through the message "RELAY, REDEFINED.," the company aims to redefine the role of relays in next-generation electronics and semiconductor test systems and to support practical technology deployment with customers and industry partners. For more information, visit Toward Technologies.Toward Technologies executives at SEMICON Taiwan 2026 in Taipei. Credit: Toward Technologies 

DAS Environmental Experts continues to expand its capabilities in Taiwan and is presenting another new product at SEMICON Taiwan. Against the backdrop of ongoing investments by the Taiwanese semiconductor industry and rising customer demand for local engineering, project management, and service capabilities, DAS Taiwan is expanding its existing Hsinchu office to approximately twice its current size. In doing so, the company is creating the physical conditions necessary for its planned further expansion of personnel and the next phase of growth in the Taiwanese market. DAS Taiwan already employs around 380 people. Looking ahead, the expansion will provide capacity for a workforce increase of about 30 percent. The expansion will take place at the existing location on the same floor. The name and address of the Hsinchu Office will remain unchanged. It is therefore not a new location, but rather part of the ongoing expansion of DAS Environmental Experts' existing organization in Taiwan.ALCEA demonstrates Taiwan's local engineering and innovation strengthIn addition to expanding its Hsinchu office, DAS Environmental Expert is using this year's SEMICON Taiwan to introduce ALCEA, a new solution for the secondary treatment of nitrogen oxides in semiconductor manufacturing. ALCEA was developed in collaboration with the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), with DAS Environmental Expert's Taiwan-based engineering team playing a central role. The system integrates directly into existing waste air systems and can reduce NOx emissions by up to 95 percent without requiring additional floor space in the subfab. This new product thus demonstrates how DAS Environmental Experts combines its proximity to customers and research partners in Taiwan with the company's technological expertise.DAS grows alongside its customers in taiwan's semiconductor marketIn recent years, Taiwan has become one of the most important markets for DAS Environmental Experts. As semiconductor production has expanded and customers have increased their investments, demand for local technical expertise, reliable project execution and service support has also grown. DAS Taiwan has responded by continuously expanding its organisation, establishing new functions and strengthening existing teams."Taiwan is one of the most important growth markets for DAS Environmental Experts. Our customers continue to invest in new and existing semiconductor capacity and expect engineering, project execution and service support directly on site. We are therefore investing consistently in our local organisation and technical capabilities," says Alex Shen, Senior Vice President DAS Asia and General Manager DAS Taiwan. "The expansion in Hsinchu creates the conditions needed to continue growing our team and provide even more comprehensive support to our customers. At the same time, we are advancing our solutions for reducing PFC and NOx emissions and strengthening our local engineering and manufacturing expertise. This allows us to grow alongside our customers and support their long-term expansion in Taiwan."Local expertise for growing semiconductor capacityFor DAS, its growing presence in Taiwan is closely linked to the needs of the semiconductor industry. New and expanded production capacities not only increase the demand for high-performance waste gas treatment and environmental technologies; at the same time, local engineering expertise, reliable project management, and readily available service capabilities are becoming increasingly important to customers.DAS is therefore continuously expanding its capabilities in Taiwan in line with these requirements. In addition to engineering, project execution and service, the company is advancing its solutions for reducing PFC and NOx emissions and strengthening its local manufacturing capabilities. The digitalisation of internal processes, including the introduction of an ERP system, supports the organisation's continued scaling. This stronger local presence enables DAS to support customers directly on site throughout the various stages of their investment and production projects. Short response times, local technical expertise and growing project and service capacity are intended to help implement new requirements quickly and support the reliable operation of installed systems.New working environment supports collaboration and further workforce growthThe expansion approximately doubles the size of the Hsinchu Office. The new premises provide additional workspaces and meeting areas designed to facilitate collaboration between the location's growing teams and different functions. At the same time, DAS Taiwan is investing in a working environment that supports the recruitment, development and long-term retention of qualified employees. In addition to open-plan workspaces and further meeting rooms, the facilities include quiet areas, a wellness and nursing room, and the multifunctional "DAS Tree Zone" for informal meetings, team activities and wellbeing programmes. Abundant natural light and flexible-use spaces are designed to promote collaboration, wellbeing and productivity. The enhanced working environment forms part of DAS Taiwan's long-term growth and talent strategy. In a dynamic semiconductor market, access to qualified engineering, project and service professionals is essential to delivering additional customer projects reliably and continuing to scale the local organisation.Taiwan as a key pillar of DAS's international operationsThe expanded office space is located in the immediate vicinity of the existing Innovation & Support Center (ISC) and forms part of the location's continued development. The ISC provides the technical infrastructure for system demonstrations and test setups and is also used for customer meetings and the training of service technicians. The additional office space now creates the capacity to employ more design engineers, development engineers and other engineering specialists at the location. This will enable development, engineering, technical support and direct customer engagement to be integrated even more closely in the future. For DAS, the development of its Taiwan operations reflects the company's commitment to evolving its organisation in parallel with the investments and requirements of its semiconductor customers. By combining global technological expertise with local engineering, project execution, manufacturing and service capabilities, the company can reliably support customers as their production capacity grows.With a stronger local organization and continuously expanding technical capabilities, DAS is thereby laying the groundwork to support its customers in Taiwan over the long term, even during the semiconductor industry's next phase of growth. Requirements from the Taiwanese market can be addressed immediately on-site and translated into technical solutions in collaboration with the engineering teams at the Dresden headquarters. In this way, DAS Environmental Expert combines the technological and development expertise from Dresden with the market knowledge and direct customer proximity of the team in Taiwan. The new ALCEA product, for example, demonstrates how this collaboration works. This new abatement product once again shows how ideas and requirements from the local market are directly incorporated into the further development of technological solutions. For more information, please visit DAS Official Website.DAS Founder-Dr. Horst Reichardt & DAS Taiwan General Manager-Alex Shen. Credit: DAS Environmental ExpertsGroup Photo of the DAS Team. Credit: DAS Environmental Experts

According to survey data from the Taiwan Society of Sleep Medicine, approximately one in every five people in Taiwan experiences insomnia. Many individuals live under prolonged psychological stress, resulting in an imbalance among stress, sleep, and lifestyle. The Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) states: "When yang qi is exhausted, one sleeps; when yin qi is exhausted, one awakens." This concept suggests that the transition between sleep and wakefulness is fundamentally governed by the dynamic balance of yin and yang.From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), sleep is a process in which yang qi enters and is contained within yin. During the day, yang qi is active and dominant, whereas at night it should retreat inward and be stored within yin to facilitate restful sleep. When the balance between yin and yang is disrupted, yang qi remains excessively active at bedtime and fails to enter yin. This condition, known as "yang failing to enter yin," may correspond to heightened sympathetic nervous system activity, preventing both the body and mind from fully relaxing and resulting in difficulty falling asleep.Soothing the Liver, Nourishing the Blood, and Calming the MindChronic insomnia is often associated with prolonged stress, which may impair the TCM functions of the liver, including the regulation of qi flow (liver governs dispersion and dredging) and the nourishing of the mind through liver blood. Excessive stress can lead to liver qi stagnation, which may transform into internal heat and disturb the mind, causing insomnia. Alternatively, insufficient blood nourishment may fail to adequately support mental tranquility, resulting in poor sleep.Several traditional Chinese herbs are commonly used to address these conditions. Albizia Bark (He Huan Pi) and Rose Flower (Mei Gui Hua) may help soothe liver qi stagnation, relieve stress, and calm the mind. Sour Jujube Seed (Suan Zao Ren) and Lily Bulb (Bai He) are often used to nourish the heart and calm the spirit, thereby improving sleep quality.In addition, applying gentle pressure to the Shenmen (HT7) acupoint, located on the little-finger side of the wrist crease, may help calm the mind, reduce sympathetic nervous system overactivity, and alleviate insomnia.Aligning with Natural Rhythms and Maintaining Lifestyle BalanceTCM emphasizes the importance of "following the rhythms of nature" and maintaining balance in daily life to support healthy sleep. According to the concept of the Zi Wu Liu Zhu (Meridian Circadian Clock), it is recommended to go to bed before 11:00 PM (the beginning of the Zi hour). During this period, qi and blood are believed to circulate through the Gallbladder and Liver meridians, representing the time when yin energy is at its peak and yang energy begins to emerge.Staying awake beyond this time may allow yang activity to increase, which can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and make it more difficult to fall asleep. Additional recommendations for promoting healthy sleep include obtaining adequate sunlight exposure during the daytime, limiting the consumption of coffee and caffeinated tea in the evening, avoiding electronic devices for at least one hour before bedtime, and ensuring that the bedroom is dark, quiet, and maintained at a comfortable temperature.By cultivating harmony between yin and yang and maintaining a balanced lifestyle, individuals may improve sleep quality and support overall physical and mental well-being.

As graduation season arrives, Taiwan's semiconductor industry once again enters its annual competition for talent. Driven by declining birth rates and surging demand for computing power fueled by the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, semiconductor companies have continued to expand their hiring efforts year after year. As labor shortages become increasingly serve, recruiting international talent has become a strategic imperative for companies seeking to maintain their competitive advantage. For years, ASE, the world's leading semiconductor packaging and testing company, and Micron, one of the world's leading memory manufacturers, have actively participated in the International Talent Development Program promoted by Taiwan's Industrial Development Administration (IDA) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA). Through talent recruitment initiatives across Southeast Asia, coupled with comprehensive training programs and diverse employee benefits, both companies have successfully attracted professionals from various cultural backgrounds to pursue long-term careers in Taiwan.Southeast Asia emerges as a key source of international talentAccording to Sunny Li, Vice President of the Administrative Resources Center at ASE, the company began recruiting international professionals nearly 30 years ago during the early stages of its manufacturing expansion. Packaging and testing specialists from the Philippines, in particular, played a critical role in building the company's operational foundation."We initially recruited fewer than 100 employees, then expanded to 200. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, we recruited another 200," Li said. While ASE initially focused on attracting highly qualified white-collar professionals from the Philippines, the company's continued expansion in manufacturing capacity and business operations has significantly increased its demand for international operational talent.In addition to the Philippines and Malaysia, which remain key sources of international talent, ASE has recently attracted students from Indonesia and Vietnam, as well as professionals graduating from leading universities in countries such as the Republic of Nicaragua and Türkiye. Today, the company employs international professionals from more than 16 countries.Micron, currently the only global memory manufacturer with production facilities in Taiwan, has also participated in overseas talent recruitment missions organized by the Industrial Development Administration for many years, recruiting manufacturing and semiconductor packaging talent from Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia."The government's overseas recruitment missions and talent training programs have provided tremendous support by encouraging companies to engage with international students much earlier," said Esther Cho, Director of Global Talent Acquisition at Micron Taiwan. "Through these initiatives, students can gain semiconductor industry experience through internships while studying in Taiwan, while also benefiting from access to the broader semiconductor ecosystem."Building Taiwan into an international talent development hubGiven that semiconductor companies recruit thousands of employees annually, failing to build a sustainable talent pipeline could pose significant business risks. In addition to overseas recruitment, both ASE and Micron actively collaborate with Taiwan universities, including I-Shou University, Cheng Shiu University, National Sun Yat-Sen University, National University of Kaohsiung, National Taiwan University, National Tsing Hua University, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, and National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, encouraging international students studying in Taiwan to participate in internships before graduation and transition directly into full-time positions.Li believes that retaining international students already studying in Taiwan through work visa and permanent residency programs has become an increasingly important strategy. These students have already adapted to Taiwanese culture and daily life while overcoming many of the language barriers during their studies, enabling them to integrate into corporate operations more quickly after graduation.ASE's recruitment of international graduates from Taiwanese universities has steadily increased from an initial 50 employees to 100, and the company expects to hire approximately 400 international graduates from Taiwanese universities this year."Developing international talent has always been one of our most important strategic investments," Li said. "We hope to cultivate a new generation of international management talent who can contribute in Taiwan and eventually assume leadership positions at our overseas operations.""Having such a loyal international workforce gives us greater confidence in sustaining double-digit annual growth," Li said. "For example, our operations in Malaysia already employ nearly 6,000 people. Whether Malaysian graduates choose to remain in Kaohsiung or eventually return to Malaysia, they represent valuable talent assets for our company."Li also praised the Industrial Development Administration's efforts to bring companies and universities together to recruit talent overseas, helping enhance the international visibility of Taiwan's semiconductor industry and its leading enterprises."The government's long-term commitment to these initiatives has enabled us to gradually build stronger international talent networks and generate cumulative momentum," Li said. "That is why we are now witnessing exponential growth in the number of international students choosing Taiwan."In fact, ASE and Micron are not alone. Taiwan is increasingly becoming an important global hub for semiconductor talent development. For example, talent development programs jointly operated by TSMC and overseas universities also bring international recruits to Taiwan for comprehensive training before assigning them to overseas operations. From a global business perspective, cultivating international talent in Taiwan is not only about addressing immediate labor shortages but also about developing the future managerial and technical backbone of semiconductor companies' global operations.Building an inclusive workplace to retain international talentAs global competition for semiconductor talent continues to intensify, Taiwan is strengthening its comprehensive support ecosystem for international talents. By aligning corporate initiatives with government resources, Taiwan seeks to create an environment that encourages international talent to pursue long-term career development and build their careers in the country.To encourage international talent to remain in Taiwan, ASE provides Mandarin language courses, assists foreign employees with permanent residency applications, and offers night-shift allowances of up to 40%. The company also places strong emphasis on cultural diversity and religious inclusion. In addition to hiring chefs from employees' home countries to prepare authentic cuisine, ASE organizes beauty pageants, recognizes outstanding international employee instructors through special awards programs, and celebrates Christmas and other major international festivals, creating an environment where international employees feel respected, valued, and connected to the organization.Li further suggested that Taiwan's government, industry, and academia should work together as "Team Taiwan" to continuously promote the competitiveness and global brand of Taiwan's semiconductor industry, thereby attracting more outstanding international talent to Taiwan.She also proposed that the government introduce tax incentives or tax credits to encourage companies to invest in scholarships, professional seminars, Mandarin language education, and other talent development initiatives. Such measures would further strengthen corporate participation in international talent development and maximize the impact of the Semiconductor International Talent Connection and Innovation Empowerment Program across talent recruitment, development, and retention.In addition to Mandarin courses, Micron assigns every international employee both a mentor and a buddy to help them adapt to life and work in Taiwan. The company's Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) also provide practical support on issues such as housing, taxation, and everyday life.Amid the rapid transformation of the global semiconductor talent landscape, Taiwan's competitive advantage comes not only from its world-class industrial strength, but also from its continuous efforts to build a friendly and development-oriented environment for international talent. When talent chooses to stay in Taiwan and grow alongside the industry, what Taiwan delivers is not only semiconductor technology, but also the key talent driving global innovation and sustainable competitiveness.

Discussion around advances in AI will often focus on model performance, chip launches, and compute scale. In practice, however, progress increasingly depends on something more fundamental: the ability to build faster, more reliable infrastructure for moving, processing, and managing data.That challenge starts well before systems reach the data center. It begins in the fabAs demand rises for accelerated computing infrastructure, advanced memory, and high-performance packaging, semiconductor manufacturers are being pushed to deliver devices capable of supporting a far more data-intensive economy. For fabs, the task is no longer limited to making smaller or faster chips. It is about sustaining the precision required to manufacture the hardware foundation of higher-throughput digital infrastructure.That shift is making the modern fab more dependent on a broader precision ecosystem.Better computing performance now depends on better data infrastructureWhat the market often labels as AI progress is increasingly tied to data infrastructure performance. Training and inference systems require more than advanced processors. They depend on moving massive volumes of data quickly, reliably, and efficiently across increasingly complex hardware environments.That demand is reshaping what fabs are being asked to produce. Growth is rising not only for leading-edge logic, but also for high-bandwidth memory, advanced interconnects, co-packaged optics, and sophisticated packaging approaches that support higher throughput with lower latency and better power efficiency. In effect, semiconductor manufacturers are being asked to fabricate the physical backbone of a faster data infrastructure layer.For fabs, this has direct consequences. As the value of each chip and subsystem rises, so does the cost of variation. More complex devices leave less room for process instability, optical inconsistency, or dimensional drift. Yield and repeatability become more important when end markets depend on that hardware to sustain reliable data flow at scale.The pressure on fabs is becoming more systemicPrecision is therefore becoming a system-level issue inside semiconductor manufacturing. Performance is no longer defined only by the nominal capability of an individual tool. It is increasingly shaped by how well the full production environment supports stability over time.Thermal behavior, structural integrity, optical quality, and light management all influence whether advanced tools can hold the tolerances required for next-generation devices. As process windows narrow, even small variations can affect overlay, imaging, inspection sensitivity, and ultimately throughput and yield.This has important implications for the ecosystem around the fab. Equipment makers need stable structures for alignment and imaging. Inspection systems need consistent optical performance and signal integrity. Metrology platforms need materials that can maintain dimensional integrity in highly controlled environments. In each case, enabling materials become part of the fab's performance infrastructure.That is why advanced material platforms are drawing more attention in semiconductor manufacturing. Leading ultra-low expansion and high-purity optical materials are already being used in precision-critical semiconductor environments where stability, optical quality, and repeatability matter. These materials may sit deeper in the stack than the tools themselves, but their contribution can be seen in long-term equipment performance and process consistency inside the fab."General industry analysis tends to focus on the most visible layers of semiconductor innovation, but the enabling materials behind tool stability and precision are becoming increasingly important as infrastructure requirements continue to rise,” said Jason Cho, business director of Semiconductor Technologies & Solutions, Corning. “As fabs are asked to support faster and more reliable data-centric systems, there is greater recognition that performance starts with the quality of the materials that help tools maintain repeatability, optical integrity, and dimensional stability over time."Inspection matters more when every chip supports data throughputAs accelerated computing infrastructure scales, the role of inspection is also changing. It is no longer only about detecting defects in support of incremental yield improvement. It is also about protecting the performance of devices that fabs are producing for systems built around continuous, high-volume data movement.That makes inspection and optical performance more strategically important inside semiconductor manufacturing. The ability to manage light effectively, maintain image quality, and reduce optical noise can influence how well fabs identify process deviations before they affect downstream device performance.This also helps explain renewed interest in some long-established optical materials. For example, Corning has reported recent increased interest in the company's Corning Polarcor glass polarizer, first brought to market around 1985. Although it is not a new product, companies developing optical components for for high-speed datacenters and communications systems have shown fresh interest in its polarization and light-control properties. That reflects a wider market realization: building fast, stable, and reliable infrastructure for data throughput depends not only on compute performance, but also on how well underlying optical systems control and optimize light propagation.For fabs, that same principle has direct relevance in inspection and imaging environments. As optical subsystems become more central to process control and yield protection, materials that improve contrast, reduce unwanted light effects, and support signal integrity can take on greater value. In a tighter manufacturing environment, foundational optical materials are being reassessed not as background inputs, but as contributors to overall fab capability.The fab is producing more than chips — it is producing the hardware foundation of data infrastructureOne of the most important shifts now underway is that semiconductor fabs are no longer just manufacturing devices in isolation. They are producing the hardware foundation for the next generation of data infrastructure.That includes processors, memory, photonic and optical components, and advanced packages designed to move, store, and process data more effectively. As a result, the quality of fab output is increasingly tied to the quality of the enabling infrastructure within the fab itself.This is leading to a broader reassessment of what matters in semiconductor manufacturing. Materials suppliers, optics providers, and component makers are not simply supporting production in the background. They are helping define the precision environment that advanced manufacturing now requires.As scaling becomes harder, process integration becomes more difficult, and end-market expectations continue to rise, that foundation matters more. Companies building the next generation of data-centric systems are beginning to recognize that reliable throughput starts with reliable manufacturing — and reliable manufacturing depends on the quality of the materials embedded throughout the fab ecosystem.A broader precision ecosystem will shape the next phase of growthAs the semiconductor industry expands capacity to support accelerated computing and next-generation data center infrastructure, competitiveness will depend on more than access to advanced tools or leading-edge process nodes. It will also depend on the strength of the precision ecosystem around the fab.That includes the materials that help equipment stay stable, the optical platforms that support inspection and imaging, and the component technologies that reduce variability in increasingly complex production environments. For fabs, OEMs, and supply-chain partners, the message is becoming clearer: better data infrastructure begins with better manufacturing infrastructure, and better manufacturing infrastructure depends on the materials selected to support it.The modern fab remains the center of semiconductor innovation. But as demand grows for faster and more reliable data throughput, its success will be shaped increasingly by the precision ecosystem built beneath it.

As AI, high-performance computing (HPC), and advanced packaging continue to move toward higher levels of power integration, chip power consumption is rising rapidly. Thermal management has therefore become a critical factor affecting performance, reliability, and system design. World Diamond Technology is advancing its large-area diamond growth technology and accelerating the mass production of 300 mm diamond wafers to address the thermal management needs of AI chips and advanced packaging. Five Key Priorities for Mass ProductionThe 300 mm wafer is currently the mainstream format in advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Scaling diamond materials from conventional smaller sizes to 300 mm involves far more than simply increasing the surface area. It also presents multiple technical challenges related to large-area material processing, uniformity, thickness, flatness, internal stress, and surface quality. World Diamond Technology has continued to advance its large-area diamond growth technology and has secured a Taiwan patent (TW Patent: I840846). Its mass-production strategy focuses on five key priorities:(1)Optimizing the diamond growth process through proprietary WDCVDTM diamond growth technology to ensure consistency across large-area wafers.(2)Precisely controlling wafer thickness and uniformity to meet the stringent requirements of advanced packaging thermal management modules.(3)Strengthening flatness and internal stress management to improve yield and reliability.(4)Optimizing surface quality and process consistency to minimize defects.(5)Continuously improving production yield and capacity while establishing a stable supply chain to support customers' volume-production requirements. By advancing toward the 300 mm format, World Diamond Technology aims to increase the potential for integrating diamond materials with existing semiconductor processes and wafer-level application platforms, enabling diamond to progress from a specialty material toward large-scale adoption across the semiconductor industry. Advantages of Diamond MaterialsDiamond offers multiple advantages as a thermal management material. Its thermal conductivity can exceed 1,500 W/(m·K), significantly outperforming conventional heat-dissipation materials. Diamond also features an extremely low coefficient of thermal expansion, helping substantially improve device reliability.In addition, diamond delivers exceptional hardness, wear resistance, high-temperature durability, and chemical stability. These properties enable it to resist corrosion, operate reliably in high-temperature environments, extend product service life, and reduce the total cost of ownership. Targeting AI Chips and Advanced Packaging ApplicationsWorld Diamond Technology's  300 mm diamond wafers will focus on high-power, high-heat-flux semiconductor applications, including:(1)AI GPUs and HPC systems(2)Data centers and servers(3)2.5D and 3D advanced packaging(4)High-power laser devices(5)Automotive electronics and power modules As advanced packaging architectures become increasingly complex, thermal management is evolving from conventional system-level cooling toward package-level, device-level, and even wafer-level solutions. Consequently, the importance of high-thermal-conductivity materials will continue to grow. Diamond Technology Powering a High-Efficiency FutureWorld Diamond Technology stated that the 300 mm diamond wafer represents an important milestone in the company's efforts to industrialize large-area diamond materials. In the next phase, the company will continue to focus on process stabilization, yield improvement, specification standardization, customer validation, and the establishment of volume-production capabilities. It will also actively pursue collaboration with semiconductor manufacturers, advanced packaging companies, thermal module suppliers, and end-system providers. To meet the rapidly growing thermal management demands of the AI era, World Diamond Technology will continue to advance diamond materials from material development to practical semiconductor applications. The company is accelerating the establishment of a comprehensive technology portfolio spanning diamond wafers, diamond lids, diamond heat spreaders, and system-level thermal management solutions, positioning itself to capture opportunities in the next generation of high-power chips and advanced packaging. Discover the latest developments in diamond wafer technology at SEMICON Taiwan 2026. We cordially invite you to visit World Diamond Technology at Booth S7546 on the 4th floor of Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 2.

Taiwan is home to the world's most advanced semiconductor ecosystem. The island produces over 60% of global contract chip manufacturing and dominates key segments from IC design to advanced packaging. For international engineers, joining this ecosystem represents an opportunity to work at the frontier of chip technology - but succeeding here requires more than technical brilliance. It demands the ability to navigate a workplace culture shaped by decades of uniquely Taiwanese management practices, communication norms, and collaborative traditions.When Indonesian engineer Fabrice first arrived in Taiwan eight years ago, he assumed that technical expertise would determine his career trajectory in the semiconductor industry. Instead, he discovered that communication - not engineering - would become his steepest learning curve. Today, working as a Facilities (FAC) engineer at ASE Technology Holding (ASE), the world's largest semiconductor packaging and testing services provider, Fabrice sees himself not just as an engineer but as a bridge connecting Taiwanese managers with multinational teams.His experience is echoed by two younger Indonesian interns - IOSIF and Regina - both working in Sigurd Microelectronics Corp as  packaging and testing sector. Together, their stories suggest that Taiwan's systematic efforts to cultivate international talent are beginning to yield tangible results - and that the cross-cultural skills they have gained are becoming as valuable as their technical expertise.The transformation did not happen by chance. Through cross-cultural communication programs supported by Taiwan's Industrial Development Administration (IDA) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, combined with on-the-job training from their employers and academic support from institutions such as Cheng Shiu University and Lunghwa University of Science and Technology, these young engineers learned that overcoming cultural barriers requires more than mastering Mandarin. It demands active listening, empathy, and the ability to interpret what is left unsaid.Navigating Taiwan's Communication Culture: Efficiency Meets HarmonyFor international professionals entering Taiwan's semiconductor workforce, one of the first adjustments involves understanding how Taiwanese colleagues communicate - a style that blends directness in pursuit of efficiency with a deep-seated respect for interpersonal harmony.For Fabrice, this was one of his earliest revelations. Growing up in Indonesia, conversations were often slower and more indirect in order to preserve social harmony. In Taiwan, colleagues spoke much more directly in pursuit of operational efficiency. At first, he interpreted their straightforwardness as unfriendly, only to realize later that it reflected a different communication culture rather than personal intent. Living in southern Taiwan added another layer of complexity, where meetings occasionally shifted into Taiwanese Hokkien - a regional dialect distinct from Mandarin - requiring him to ask follow-up questions after discussions.Those experiences shaped a simple but effective strategy: listen first, pause, and ask questions before making assumptions. Over four years at ASE, he says those habits have significantly strengthened both his emotional intelligence and his confidence in negotiating with Taiwanese vendors and multinational colleagues.IOSIF ( Chinese name: Li Zhongdi), who will join Sigurd Microelectronics Corp. as an engineer in Hukou while completing his Electrical Engineering degree at Lunghwa University, encountered a different dimension of the same communication culture. "Taiwanese colleagues, he discovered, rarely reject proposals outright. Instead, phrases such as "We'll think about it" or "Let's discuss it later" often serve as polite signals of disagreement - a reflection of the cultural importance placed on preserving "face" (miànzi) for all parties. Learning to read between the lines became essential for avoiding misunderstandings. Rather than viewing these indirect responses as obstacles, Joseph learned to probe gently with clarifying questions, allowing discussions to move forward without causing either side to lose face.Regina, another Indonesian student from Lunghwa University, will join Sigurd Microelectronics Corp. as a packaging and testing engineer in Hsinchu - Taiwan's semiconductor heartland, recalls that her biggest obstacle was not technical terminology but everyday workplace language. Local idioms such as mòmíng qímiào ( roughly "That doesn't make any sense") and heavily abbreviated Taiwanese expressions initially left her confused, though local colleagues often helped explain their meaning. Over time, she adopted an important communication habit: paraphrasing what others had said before responding. By repeating instructions or discussions in her own words, she created opportunities for teammates to correct misunderstandings immediately, preventing small communication gaps from escalating into costly engineering errors.Where Cultural Differences Become Innovation: Complementary Strengths in ActionBeyond communication, cultural diversity directly influences how engineering problems get solved in Taiwan's semiconductor fabs and testing facilities. Rather than creating friction, the interviewees found that different working styles often produce stronger outcomes when combined effectively.Joseph experienced this firsthand during a project where competing cultural priorities threatened progress. Taiwanese engineers tended to prioritize process discipline, quality assurance, and long-term reliability - hallmarks of the island's manufacturing excellence that have earned global customers' trust. Meanwhile, many international teammates focused on speed and meeting tight deadlines. Rather than allowing either approach to dominate, Joseph proposed building a small beta version. The prototype allowed the Taiwanese team to verify quality while enabling the project to stay on schedule-demonstrating that innovation often emerges from combining different approaches rather than choosing one over the other. He credits active listening and empathy for helping him recognize that workplace conflicts usually stem from differing assumptions rather than someone simply being wrong.Regina believes cultural diversity ultimately strengthens engineering teams. In her experience, Taiwanese colleagues excel at maintaining stability, following standard operating procedures, and pursuing perfection, while international teammates often contribute greater flexibility, speed, and creative thinking. Rather than viewing these traits as competing strengths, she sees them as complementary. She also applies empathy during negotiations, consciously asking why a colleague's perspective makes sense within their cultural context before searching for solutions that satisfy all parties involved.Drawing on his multicultural experience, Fabrice believes different nationalities bring complementary strengths that mirror the semiconductor industry's own need for both precision and adaptability. He describes Indonesians as practical and quick to solve problems, while Taiwanese colleagues tend to be more structured, rule-oriented, and focused on long-term solutions. In one recent project, he acted as the bridge between a Taiwanese manager and a Filipino engineering team, translating complex technical concepts into simpler language and helping each side understand the other's working style. By combining flexibility with discipline, the team completed the project ahead of schedule - reinforcing his belief that cultural diversity creates stronger teams.A Family-Like Workplace Culture: With Room to GrowFor international engineers considering a move to Taiwan, workplace culture is often a deciding factor. All three engineers praise Taiwanese companies for creating a welcoming, family-like environment that sets them apart from many multinational corporations. Managers and colleagues frequently check whether employees have eaten or how they are adapting to life in Taiwan, making foreign workers feel genuinely supported on both professional and personal levels.Yet they also identify one area for improvement: hierarchical organizational structures can discourage international employees from openly challenging managers or expressing dissenting opinions during meetings. Fabrice takes this observation further, arguing that Taiwan's semiconductor industry would benefit from promoting more international professionals into leadership positions. Greater diversity among managers, he believes, would not only improve inclusion but also enable companies to better serve their increasingly global customers and workforces.What International Engineers Gain from Taiwan's Semiconductor EcosystemDespite coming from different companies and career stages, Fabrice, Joseph, and Regina arrived at remarkably similar conclusions. Technical expertise may open the door to Taiwan's world-leading semiconductor industry, but long-term success depends on the ability to bridge cultures. The communication training provided through government initiatives, universities, and employers has equipped them with practical tools - active listening, clarifying questions, paraphrasing, empathy, and cultural awareness - that extend far beyond the classroom and are transferable to any global workplace.As Taiwan seeks to attract and retain more international semiconductor talent, these young engineers demonstrate that the industry's next competitive advantage may not come from faster chips alone, but from people capable of connecting diverse teams across cultures. For engineers worldwide considering where to build their semiconductor careers, Taiwan offers not just cutting-edge technology but a unique environment where cross-cultural competence becomes a career-defining skill.

DAS Environmental Expert GmbH today announced the launch of ALCEA, a new secondary abatement solution for nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in semiconductor manufacturing. Installed downstream of NOx-generating waste gas treatment units, ALCEA can reduce NOx by up to 95 percent while its catalyst stage is integrated directly into the exhaust duct, minimizing additional floor space in the subfab. DAS Environmental Experts will present the new system at SEMICON Taiwan 2026 from September 2 to 4 at TaiNEX 1 and 2 in Taipei (Booth J2 | 346).New plasma-enhanced catalytic secondary abatement solution integrates into exhaust ducts to minimize subfab floor space and energy demand In semiconductor fabs, additional emission-control capacity competes for limited and costly subfab space. At the same time, manufacturers are seeking to reduce utility demand, maintenance requirements, and operational interruptions. ALCEA addresses these constraints through a highly integrated architecture: the catalyst unit is fitted into the exhaust duct rather than installed as a separate floor-standing treatment stage. The solution is designed for retrofitting into existing exhaust systems and for use downstream of different NOx-generating abatement technologies. "Fabs cannot treat emissions, energy use and space as separate challenges. With ALCEA, we place a high-performance secondary DeNOx stage where it creates the most value - directly in the existing exhaust path. The result is a retrofit-ready solution that reduces NOx by up to 95 percent while keeping the demand for floor space and utilities low. That is exactly the kind of practical innovation needed on the road to an emission-free subfab", says Guy Davies, Chief Business Development Officer, DAS Environmental Experts.？？Plasma-enhanced catalysis without special gas injectionALCEA is based on DAS Environmental Experts' proven plasma-enhanced Catalytic Technology. Reactive oxygen species are formed (ROS), which drive reactions on the catalyst surface. The process converts NOx into more highly oxidized, water-soluble nitrogen compounds that can subsequently be removed in a downstream central wet abatement system. The dry-oxidation process requires no injection of special gases and the catalysts are reusable. Depending on NOx concentration, prior treatment and plasma power, ALCEA handles volume flows of up to 5,000 standard liters per minute and achieves NOx reduction of up to 95 percent. Specified power consumption is up to 3.2 kW, depending on the NOx concentration. The system supports up to two catalyst ducts for dual systems or two individual local scrubbers. Process cooling water, reusable catalysts and a design geared toward low maintenance requirements and downtime support integration into ongoing fab operations.Developed in one of the world's leading semiconductor ecosystems, ALCEA was created in collaboration with Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Taiwan's premier applied-technology research institute. The DAS Environmental Experts engineering team in Taiwan played a central role in the development.The project combines applied research, local engineering expertise and proximity to semiconductor customers. It also represents a significant expansion of the company's waste gas treatment portfolio, adding a compact post-combustion DeNOx option for new and existing fab installations. The market launch at SEMICON Taiwan underscores the role of DAS Environmental Experts' regional teams in customer-oriented innovation and local value creation. Visitors can learn more about ALCEA and the company's wider portfolio for waste gas and wastewater treatment during SEMICON Taiwan 2026. For more information, please visit DAS Official Website and product detail page. 

This year's SEMICON Taiwan will be packed with discussions about artificial intelligence and the on-wafer challenges it's creating, where the advanced node and emerging technology worlds collide. And at the center of it all is the need for better process control at a reduced cost-of-ownership (CoO).Right now, manufacturers are being told to buy high-priced tools designed for the front-end advanced node world - often delivering more performance than needed at a CoO that breaks the bank. It's time to break the cycle and deliver what customers want and need at a CoO that is designed to meet the needs of their business and not simply the needs of the OEM.Enter Onto Innovation.Take control of your process and break free from costly, unnecessary platforms and patchwork solutions that prevent you from achieving truly connected process control.Here's how Onto Innovation fights the status quo and puts manufacturers in control.Advanced Node Logic: Controlling Structures at the Limits of PhysicsAt the leading edge, 3D architectures are evolving fast. Gate-all-around (GAA) nanosheets require control of individual sheet dimensions, while future complementary field-effect transistor (CFET) structures will intensify 3D metrology requirements. Both demand precise nanowire control with the data richness and enhanced signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) needed to extract more than a single dimension from a single measurement.Powered by Ai Diffract modeling software, Onto's optical critical dimension (OCD) portfolio provides the precision to identify dimensional drift in complex GAA and CFET structures. Onto's films metrology portfolio measures the ultra-thin oxide, high-k metal gate, and P/N metal stack films that make up these devices. Together, these metrology solutions help manufacturers catch process drift before it becomes a downstream issue.Advanced Memory: Keeping Pace With Vertical ScalingAs 3D DRAM and 3D NAND scale vertically and device density increases, metrology has to keep pace. Manufacturers face increasingly stringent requirements for high spectrum resolution and sensitivity, and Onto's OCD and films metrology portfolio delivers the tools to stay in control as memory scales.Silicon Photonics: Controlling a Fundamentally New Kind of DeviceSilicon photonics (SiPh) and co-packaged optics (CPO) are scaling toward broader high-volume manufacturing (HVM) adoption. These architectures can integrate laser sources, waveguide-based silicon chips, micro-lenses, and opto-electronic converters, with each introducing unique process-control challenges. Defects can show up anywhere along the optical path - in the V-grooves and micro-lens arrays that couple and align light, the waveguides that route it, the EEL/VCSEL devices that generate it, and the module-level packaging (through glass vias, bump, hybrid bonding, and reflectors) that holds it all together. Any of these defects can negatively impact yield and performance. Onto's metrology and inspection portfolio enables manufacturers to address these key touchpoints with confidence.Materials Intelligence: Control That Starts Below the SurfaceNot every problem appears as a visible defect. Charge trapping, interface states, dopant profiles, and crystalline defects can erode device performance and reliability long before a part reaches test – often beyond the reach of standard metrology recipes. Onto's materials intelligence tools are built for this layer of control: FAaST for charge and interface characterization, CnCV and QUAD for yield-critical electrical insights, Aspect S for material and structure characterization of high aspect ratio (HAR) trenches and TSV, and Celero PL for crystalline defect intelligence. With Onto, manufacturers are able to identify the variations dimensional measurements alone cannot see.Advanced Packaging: Managing Complexity Where Device Types ConvergeLogic, memory, and increasingly photonics come together in an advanced package to act as one system. Process steps like hybrid bonding, TSV, silicon thinning, and copper pad recess and dishing/topography control introduce errors that don't exist in front-end flows. Copper that protrudes or recesses even slightly at a bond interface, for example, can undermine an otherwise perfect hybrid bond; this is why hybrid bonding requires tight control of surface topography, including copper pad recess and dishing/topography, along with inspection designed to catch the sub-micron, low contrast, and non-visible defects standard inspection tools can miss. Interposers, meanwhile, introduce their own set of challenges one layer down, where measuring HAR deep trench capacitors and TSV is as demanding as it is in any 3D memory stack, and where high-speed infrared (HSIR) inspection is needed to catch defects below the surface.This need for visibility is just as important, if not more so, in an AI package. Each component in an AI package- GPU or CPU, multiple HBM stacks, an interposer, a panel substrate, and CPO - is a process control touchpoint. Onto's portfolio addresses these directly: logic OCD and film metrology for the GPU/CPU, HBM bump and RDL inspection for the memory stack, interposer inspection for the layer connecting them, panel lithography and inspection for the substrate, and SiPh/CPO module inspection wherever optics are integrated - all tied together by process control and analytics software.Dragonfly G5: One Platform for Multiple Device TypesThe Dragonfly G5 system shows what taking control across device types looks like. The system delivers sub-micron defect sensitivity down to 150nm, with best-in-class throughput across front-end, back-end, and advanced packaging applications. That versatility extends beyond traditional wafer-based manufacturing. Specialty and photonics opportunities are evaluated by application, on a single platform that handles wafers and 310×310mm panels, including glass.This unrivaled versatility is the result of several complementary inspection technologies on one platform, each one designed for a different kind of defect: brightfield and darkfield imaging for standard inspection, 3Di technology for bump metrology, a new illumination mode for sub-micron, low-contrast defects (e.g. CMP, hybrid bonding), Clearfind technology for non-visible defects, and HSIR inspection for sub-surface defects. Outfitted with TrueADC Turing machine learning classification software, the Dragonfly G5 helps manufacturers reduce nuisance defects and improve defect matching and classification accuracy.The result is a platform that follows manufacturers across device types rather than forcing them to qualify a different tool for each type. The same underlying system supports front-end and back-end inspection, advanced packaging steps like hybrid bonding and 2.5D integration, and selected specialty/photonics inspection applications.Taking Control, Device by DeviceAdvanced node logic, advanced memory, silicon photonics, advanced packaging, critical films, and AI packages feature different physics, materials, and failure modes. Onto's approach to each is the same: give manufacturers a clear, connected view of their process so problems are addressed before they become expensive.That's what taking control of your process really means - not one tool built for one device, but a portfolio designed to give manufacturers visibility and confidence across the full range of their products.SEMICON Taiwan attendees can find the Onto team at Booth L0728, September 2-4. Stop by and learn how comprehensive process control solutions can help you take control of your process, yield, and future roadmap.

As AI infrastructure drives demand for higher bandwidth, lower power consumption and faster connectivity, silicon photonics is becoming increasingly important to the future of computing. However, moving technologies such as silicon photonics and co-packaged optics (CPO) from development to commercial deployment presents a critical challenge: how to achieve reliable, high-volume production.To address this challenge, ficonTEC will host its Expert Seminar – Asia, "The Future is Powered by Photonics – Building the Manufacturing Ecosystem Behind AI Infrastructure," on September 8, 2026, in Hsinchu, Taiwan.The event will bring together experts from across the photonics and semiconductor ecosystem to discuss how companies can move from prototype to production, overcome emerging bottlenecks and shorten time-to-market.From innovation to industrializationAs photonic technologies become increasingly important to AI infrastructure, proving that a technology works is no longer enough. Manufacturers must also achieve the repeatability, yield, throughput and cost efficiency required for volume production.The seminar will explore challenges across assembly, testing, fiber handling and production automation, along with the technologies and partnerships needed to address them.Speakers from Femtum, Hermes Testing Solutions (HTSI), BizLink, USI and ficonTEC will share perspectives from different parts of the ecosystem. A DIGITIMES industry presentation and cross-industry panel will further examine what it takes to scale photonics.From Machine to FactoryA program highlight will be ficonTEC's deep dive into its Intelligent Automation Platform, showing how digital twins, automated assembly, testing, fiber preparation, factory software and AI can be connected across the production environment.The focus extends beyond individual equipment to connecting capabilities from Machine to Line to Factory—helping photonics companies accelerate the transition from engineering development to scalable production.One ecosystem. One challenge: scale.No single company can address every challenge involved in photonics industrialization. Scaling silicon photonics requires collaboration across equipment, testing, connectivity, manufacturing and supply-chain partners.This is particularly relevant in Hsinchu, at the heart of Taiwan's semiconductor and advanced electronics ecosystem. As AI accelerators, advanced packaging and high-speed optical interconnects evolve, closer integration between photonics and established semiconductor production will become essential.The central question is shifting from "Can we develop the technology?" to "Can we manufacture it at the speed, yield and scale required by the AI economy?"Join industry experts in Hsinchu to explore how the photonics ecosystem can turn breakthrough technologies into scalable production. Register now to request your seat. Request your seat at the ficonTEC Expert Seminar – Asia.