2026-07-27

From smartphones and electric vehicles to artificial intelligence (AI), modern technologies all rely on semiconductor chips as their essential "brains." To stay at the forefront of global advances in semiconductor and photonics technologies, National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) hosted the "NSYSU × PSU Semiconductor Technologies & Photonics Workshop 2026" at the Kwang Chung Conference Hall of the Building of International Research. In collaboration with Pennsylvania State University (PSU), the workshop brought together leading scholars and technology industry experts from Taiwan and abroad to explore emerging technologies, including semiconductors, photonic integration, and silicon photonics, and to identify new directions for next-generation technological development.

The workshop marks the third consecutive year of collaboration between NSYSU and PSU, highlighting the growing momentum of international cooperation in semiconductor and photonics research between the two institutions. Approximately 200 participants attended the event. NSYSU President Chih-Peng Li noted that the inaugural workshop was held in 2024, after which the two universities adopted a rotating hosting model to strengthen their partnership further. He emphasized that the workshop serves as an important platform for exchanging expertise, inspiring innovative ideas, and exploring future collaborative opportunities. NSYSU will continue to deepen its international partnerships, work alongside outstanding global talent, and promote industry–academia collaboration and innovation.

Tsung-Hsien Lin, Professor of the Department of Photonics and Vice President for Research and Development at NSYSU, noted that PSU was represented by eight scholars this year, including five who traveled to Taiwan and three who participated online. Together with NSYSU faculty members, they shared the latest research developments in a range of cutting-edge fields, including heterogeneous integration, three-dimensional integrated circuits (3D IC), co-packaged optics (CPO), silicon photonics, optical computing, wide-bandgap semiconductors, and AI applications in advanced manufacturing processes and materials.

These advanced technologies are closely connected to everyday life. For example, silicon photonics is widely regarded as a key technology for future high-speed data transmission and has the potential to accelerate and make AI computing more energy-efficient. Likewise, 3D IC technology can be compared to transforming a flat building into a skyscraper, enabling more functions to be integrated into a chip of the same size and thereby significantly enhancing performance.

In addition to academic participants, the workshop also welcomed representatives from leading technology companies and research organizations, including TSMC, ASML, Realtek, ASE, Corning, Oxford Instruments, and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). Industry experts shared the latest developments in semiconductor manufacturing and photonics technologies, providing valuable opportunities for direct dialogue between academia and industry and helping bridge the gap between research and practical applications.

NSYSU emphasized that as AI, high-performance computing, and next-generation communications continue to advance rapidly, the integration of semiconductor and photonics technologies has become a central driver of global technological competitiveness. Through its ongoing partnership with PSU and the continued organization of international workshops, NSYSU aims to strengthen global research networks, deepen talent cultivation and scientific collaboration in semiconductor and photonics fields, and provide more young scholars with opportunities to engage on the global technology stage.

"NSYSU × PSU Semiconductor Technologies & Photonics Workshop 2026" Information: https://nsysu-lcplab.github.io/nsysu-psu-workshop/