MIRDC has been commissioned by MOEA Bureau of Industrial Development with the Project for Developing Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment and Parts & Components, with the aim of upgrading technologies of Taiwan’s semiconductor equipment industry. On 3 September, 2014, MIRDC signed a cooperation agreement with TNO, the largest national research institute in the Netherlands. TNO has 75% of its revenue coming from R&D sales to businesses. Its research works span across health and medical, industrial innovation, high-tech systems and materials, onshore and offshore facilities, chemicals, defense and security, mobile communications, living environment planning, and information networks. In the semiconductor sector, TNO owns ultra clean vacuum processing technologies and key technologies for developing prototype front-end equipment, and has assisted international companies like ASML, PHILIPS, SAMSUNG, ZEISS, and APPLIED MATERIAL in their product development.
MIRDC and TNO will develop cooperation schemes for developing front-end semiconductor equipment and ultra clean vacuum technologies, and then gradually expand their cooperation into other related fields. It is hoped that such a close partnership will significantly enhance the technologies and self-production capabilities of semiconductor and photvoltaic equipment in Taiwan.