The Taiwanese Delegation Visits the Clean Room Laboratory for Silicon Device Technology and Microelectronics at the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University

Collaboration with Taiwan: Informing and Engaging

The Faculty of Science at Masaryk University has promoted excellent conditions for exchange stays and academic cooperation with Taiwan here, describing details various programs enabling student and staff mobility and emphasizes the strong ties between Czech and Taiwanese institutions in STEM fields. We were delighted to welcome the delegation and showcase our extensive activities in educating both university and high school students from across the country about semiconductor production. Our proud 60-year tradition in research and collaboration with Czech semiconductor producers—represented today by the onsemi group—continues to thrive, providing meaningful career opportunities for many of our physics program graduates.

Warm Welcome to the Taiwanese Delegation

The delegation arrived at the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, particularly visiting the Department of Condensed Matter Physics and the Department of Plasma Physics and Technology. The delegation was led by Petr Suchy, Vice-Rector for Internationalization. The visit of the Faculty of Science was organized by Ctirad Hofr, Vice-Dean for Research and Internationalization. Activities of Faculty of Informatics was represented by Zdeněk Matěj from the Department of Computer Systems and Communications.

The Taiwan delegation consisted of:

• Prof. Yan-Kuin Su, Dean, Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology

• Prof. Mitch M.C. Chou, Associate Dean, Key Materials

• Prof. Lih-Yih Chiou, Director, Integrated Circuit Design

• Assoc. Prof. Wei-Chen Tu, Director, Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology

• Prof. Kuo-Hsing Kao, TSMC Project Manager and seconded professor, Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology

• Ms. Phoebe Lu, Executive Officer, Office of Academic and Student Affairs and International Relations

Both Institutions are Deeply Engaged in Cutting-edge Research and Education in the Field of Semiconductors

The delegation from the National Cheng Kung University was warmly welcomed as an example of our faculty’s commitment to fostering international academic collaboration in cutting-edge scientific fields. As Prof. Yan-Kuin Su, the Dean, Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, mentioned: „The NCKU delegation and leaders from MU’s Faculties of Science and Informatics agreed and emphasize to further support and intensify student exchanges between NCKU and MU and for building hands-on, end-to-end partnerships in semiconductor research and development.”

Both Faculty of Science, Masaryk University and National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) are deeply engaged in cutting-edge research and education in the field of semiconductors. This summer, experts from NCKU organized the 2025 NCKU AISSM Semiconductor Summer School, an intensive program that brought together international and domestic students with engineering backgrounds to gain practical experience through lectures, lab work, and industry tours. This initiative reflects the shared commitment of both institutions to advancing semiconductor technology through hands-on learning and global academic exchange.

Introduction to the Clean Room Laboratory for Silicon Device Technology and Microelectronics

At the Faculty of Science, the delegation received a warm welcome from Dominik Munzar, director of the Department of Experimental Physics.

A key part of the visit was a presentation of the Clean Room Laboratory for Silicon Device Technology and Microelectronics at the Department of Condensed Matter Physics. Petr Mikulík from the department expertly introduced the delegation to this laboratory, emphasizing its role in educating students in physics and microelectronics through hands-on experience with a cutting-edge clean room environment — essential for semiconductor and integrated circuit technology.

The guests expressed great excitement upon seeing actual materials used in chip manufacturing, including silicon wafers and ultra-thin layered materials. These firsthand observations deepened their understanding of the practical challenges and innovations in semiconductor research.

Inspiring Excursions for High schools and Universities students from all Czechia

The delegation was impressed by the extensive cooperation that the department maintains with students from diverse universities and high schools from all country, highlighting an engaged of over 150 students per year who are visiting the laboratory and the exposition dedicated to our collaboration with the onsemi group.

Ondřej Caha shared insights into our X-ray instrumentation for structural studies of semiconductor bulk materials and thin layers. The delegation was particularly amazed to learn about the longevity and reliability of the research instruments that have been in use for over 25 years, some of which were assembled and programmed by the department researchers themselves. These "home-made" devices remain fully operational and continue to contribute significantly to ongoing scientific work aside of the modern commercial instruments, impressing visitors with their durability and precision.

Furher discussion was devoted to modern wide band-gap semiconductor materials, such as silicon carbide (SiC), which attracts a lot of research, development and production effort in recent years. This topic, together with the practical education in the clean room facility, are the basic pillars of the Advanced Chip Design and Research Center (ACDRC) project running here together with the Taiwanes partners, see https://www.cybersecurityhub.cz/en/strategic-projects/acdrc.

Pavel Souček guided laboratory tour in the Department of Plasma Physics and Technology. He has shown and described various sputtering instruments and plasma processing tools where deposition options or surface modifications can be tuned to achieve desired parameters of the studied materials, including semiconductors, metals or organics, as well as analytical instruments for sample characterisation. Among other instruments, both departments are equipped by electron microscopes from the renowned producers here in Brno.

Future Prospects

Looking ahead, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University is enthusiastic about expanding future collaborations with Taiwan. This visit strengthens the shared vision of advancing STEM education and research through mutual cooperation, international mobility, and exchange of scientific expertise.

This engagement reaffirms our position as a vibrant hub for STEM innovation and international academic exchange, inspiring high school and university students and researchers alike to pursue discoveries that shape the future of technology and science.