Applied Materials and JSR open research lab in Taiwan

應用材料公司和日本JSR旗下公司在台灣設立研究中心

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Applied Materials and JSR on Wednesday opened a joint planarization research lab in Hsinchu County.

The Advanced Process Solutions Lab was inaugurated in Hukou Township, per CNA. Executives from Applied Materials, JSR Electronic Materials Taiwan, and TSMC attended the launch.

TSMC Vice President of R&D Chang Hsun-ming (章勳明) likened the site to a “kitchen” for chip development, per Liberty Times. He said the environment will allow greater creativity and innovation.

Chang said he joined TSMC more than three decades ago as its first chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) engineer. He said the industry has since progressed from polishing 6-inch wafers to today’s advanced 12-inch processes.

Chang noted that TSMC has worked closely with JSR in developing CMP materials, including slurries. He said a copper-process slurry breakthrough earned his team TSMC’s first Innovation Award in 2005.

As AI demand drives more advanced chip production, Chang said CMP requirements have become more stringent. He noted that surface flatness for 12-inch wafers must now be controlled within 1 nm.

Applied Materials Taiwan President Yu Ting-lu (余定陸) said the launch marks a key milestone for collaboration, calling the partnership just the beginning.