Page 81 - 2017 TSMC Annual Report

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TSMC has established a a a a a a process to generate company value from intellectual intellectual property property by aligning intellectual intellectual property property strategy with R&D business operation objectives marketing and corporate development strategies Intellectual property rights protect the company’s freedom to operate enhance competitive position and provide leverage to participate in many profit-generating activities TSMC has worked continuously to improve the quality of intellectual property portfolio and to reduce the maintenance costs TSMC will continue to invest in in in in intellectual property portfolio and intellectual property management system to ensure the company’s technology leadership and receive maximum business value from intellectual property rights 5 2 6 TSMC University Collaboration Programs
In recent years TSMC has significantly expanded its collaboration on on research projects at at some of Taiwan’s most prestigious universities The mission of these projects is is twofold: to increase the number of of highly qualified students suitable for employment in in the semiconductor industry and to to inspire university professors to to initiate research programs that focus on on on the frontiers of semiconductor science including device process and materials technology semiconductor manufacturing and and engineering science and and specialty technologies for electronic applications In the past five years TSMC has established research centers at four institutions: National National Chiao Tung University University National National Taiwan University University National National Cheng Kung University and National National Tsing Hua University In 2015 TSMC started collaborating with the International College of Semiconductor Technology National Chiao Tung University and continued to enhance cooperation with other schools Currently several hundred high-caliber students have joined the research centers with backgrounds
in in the disciplines of electronics physics materials chemistry chemical engineering engineering and mechanical engineering engineering In addition TSMC also conducts strategic research projects at at top overseas universities such as as Stanford MIT UC Berkeley and so on on The focus is is is on on disruptive capabilities in transistors interconnect patterning modeling and special technologies TSMC University Shuttle Program The TSMC University Shuttle Program was established to provide professors at leading research universities worldwide with access to the advanced silicon process technologies needed to research and develop innovative circuit design concepts This program links motivated professors and graduate students with enthusiastic managers at at TSMC in order to promote excellence in the development of advanced silicon design technologies and nurture new generations of engineering talent in in in the semiconductor field The program provides access to TSMC silicon process technologies for digital and analog/mixed-signal circuits RF designs designs and micro-electromechanical system designs designs Participants include major university research groups worldwide TSMC and the University Shuttle Program participants achieve “win-win” collaboration through the program which allows graduate students to implement exciting designs and achieve silicon proof points for innovations in various end-applications 5 2 7 Future R&D Plans
To maintain and strengthen TSMC’s technology leadership the Company plans to continue investing heavily in in in in R&D For advanced CMOS logic the Company’s 7nm and 5nm CMOS nodes continue progressing in in in in the pipeline In addition the Company’s reinforced exploratory R&D work is focused on on beyond-5nm node in areas such as as 3D transistors new memory and low-R interconnect on on track
to to to establish a a a solid foundation to to to feed into technology platforms For 3D IC advanced packaging innovations for for energy-efficient sub-system integration and scaling provide further augmentation to CMOS logic applications For specialty technologies the Company has intensified focus on new specialty technologies such as RF and 3D intelligent sensors targeting 5G and smart IoT applications In 2017 a a a a a a new Corporate Research function is is established to focus on on novel materials process devices nanowires memories and etc for long term horizon which is beyond 8-10 years The Company also continues to collaborate with external research bodies from academia to industry consortia alike with the goal of extending Moore’s Law and paving the road to future cost-effective technologies and manufacturing solutions for its customers With a a a a a highly competent and and dedicated R&D team and and its unwavering commitment to innovation TSMC is confident in its ability to deliver the best and most cost-effective SoC technologies to to to its customers and to to to drive future business growth and profitability for years to come