[Year 114] MA-tek Industry-Academia Collaboration

MA-tek has long been assisting the high-tech industry in the analytical testing needs of advanced technologies, earning praise and trust from the industry. We also understand that academic institutions bear the heavy responsibility of nurturing the future development of advanced technologies and require more research resources. MA-tek hopes to contribute more to society and aims to assist more outstanding research and development projects to be realized by enhancing the quality of analytical testing in the research and development process.

Therefore, starting from the year 110, an annual investment of NT$20 million is established.MA-tek Industry-Academia Cooperation ProgramIt is expected to subsidize 20 projects each year, soliciting research plans focused on the development of high-tech products and themes such as manufacturing, packaging, testing, and systems, while utilizing advanced analytical testing technologies to support academic institutions in the preliminary research and development of innovative components, materials, and innovative ideas.

To this end, MA-tek publicly invites outstanding scholars in relevant research fields to collaborate by providing high-end analytical instrument services, combining academic research resources to promote basic and applied research, and together creating a win-win situation for industry and academia.

Target applicants

Including National Taiwan University, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei Medical University, National Tsing Hua University, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, National Central University, National Chung Hsing University, National Cheng Kung University, and National Sun Yat-sen University, among ten schools. The project leader must be employed by the institution where the service center is located, and each person is limited to applying for one project per year.

113 Year Plan Schedule

• Application period: From May 7, 2025, to June 18, 2025.
• Results Announcement: The selection results will be notified to each service center and applicants before July 15, 2025.
• The execution period of the plan: from August 1, 2025, to August 31, 2026.

Selection Criteria

• The research topics include advanced processes, manufacturing packaging, compound semiconductors, optoelectronic materials, new energy, quantum devices, AI computing, silicon photonics, and nanobiomedicine.
• With innovative or future application development potential.
• The execution of the project requires the use of the analytical instruments provided by MA-tek.

The subsidy items are provided by MA-tek, offering the following advanced analytical testing services, divided into 9 major fields based on the equipment.

1. Non-destructive structural observation (3D X-ray, SAT, Thermal EMMI)

2. Microstructure and Composition Analysis (Sample Preparation, High-Resolution TEM, SEM, FIB, EDS, EBSD, EELS, NBD, SAD)

3. Impurity concentration detection (SIMS, SRP, SCM, XPS, Auger)

4. Pollution and Trace Detection (TOF-SIMS, XPS, FTIR, XRF)

5. Liquid TEM Analysis (K-kit)

6. Component-level electrical measurement and defect localization (C-AFM, Nano-probing, EBIC/EBAC, PEM, OBIRCH, Thermal EMMI)

7. ESD (HBM, MM, CDM, Latch-up, TLP, EOS)

8. Reliability testing (HTOL, HAST, TCT, BLT, TS, Vibration, Shock, H2S corrosion, AMR/AMI, HRTB, etc.)

9. Physical chemistry analysis (ICP-MS, TGA, LC-MS, etc.)

Q&A

1. About Costs

Q1. How should the budget for the application plan be allocated?

The budget for the research project does not need to be prepared in advance. Applicants only need to detail the experimental concepts and the instruments that may be used. Subsequently, technical experts from MA-tek will assist in planning the quantity or duration of equipment usage, and estimate the funding accordingly.

Q2. Are there any rules or restrictions on the budget allocation for the project?

MA-tek's industry-academia cooperation program mainly aims to enhance the quality of analytical testing in the research and development process. Therefore, the overall budget allocation will be arranged as follows: (This part is only a suggestion for reference; applicants can estimate the proportions themselves, and the final assessment will be conducted by the review specialists.)

• 70% - Equipment usage fee (MA-tek)
• 20% - School Management Fee
• 10% - Personnel, materials, and other business expenses (it is recommended to use existing manpower to reduce expenditure)

Q3. What is the subsidy method and process?

The application process will follow the flowchart below, and each project will be assigned a MA-tek project manager to assist with technical communication and project execution.

2. Others

Q1. What are the limitations of the role of the host?

The project hosts are limited to full-time professors from nine schools (National Taiwan University, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, National Taiwan Normal University, National Tsing Hua University, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, National Central University, National Chung Hsing University, National Cheng Kung University, National Sun Yat-sen University, including their affiliated schools), including associate, assistant, and full professors, but excluding part-time professors and lecturers.

Q2. How is the distribution of results (intellectual property rights) handled?

In principle, the distribution of the results will be 50% for each party; the details will be further discussed due to different regulations of each school and the nature of each project.

Q3. What are the equipment requirements?

Please list in detail the equipment that will be used for the project execution in the application form. MA-tek will prioritize the evaluation using existing equipment, and MA-tek's technical experts will also provide suggestions during the discussion phase after the project is selected. During the project execution phase, MA-tek will assist with the experimental analysis and the setting of experimental parameters through project management. Project members are also welcome to come on-site to conduct experimental analysis together.

Q4. What is the purpose of MA-tek launching this collaboration program?

The main idea behind this collaboration project is that MA-tek's Chairman, Hsieh Yong-Fen, has served as the president of the Tsinghua University Alumni Association and has maintained close ties with the academic community. He is well aware of the shortcomings in research funding for academic institutions and the lack of resources for high-end or expensive equipment usage. Therefore, he instructed MA-tek to allocate funds each year, allowing outstanding laboratories in academia to enjoy industry-standard analytical testing services, supporting and assisting more outstanding research and development projects to be realized.

Q5. If it is not quantum computers, compound semiconductors, advanced processes, optoelectronic materials, and manufacturing packaging fields, can one still apply?

Yes, any research that has innovative or future application development potential and uses MA-tek's high-end analytical instruments is welcome for professors to apply.

For detailed information, please refer to the project description. If you have any related questions about the project content, please contact the technical liaison.

• Technical contact window: Mr. Chen Hongren | 03-611-6678 ext.3250 |JDP@ma-tek.com

Applicants for the MA-tek academic cooperation subsidy should prepare documents in the MA-tek project proposal format and email the electronic files to the MA-tek administrative window during the application period. Late submissions, incomplete documents, or those that do not meet the requirements will not be accepted.

• MA-tek submission contact: Ms. Chiu Pei-Ju | 03-611-6678 ext.3815 | JDP@ma-tek.com

The MA-tek Industry-Academia Cooperation Program has entered its fifth phase. The application for the 114th year program will start accepting submissions from May 7 and will close on June 18, with the program execution period from August 1, 2025, to July 31, 2026. To strengthen the development of emerging technologies with significant market application potential, three new research themes have been added: AI computing, silicon photonics, and nanobiomedicine, and Taipei Medical University has been added as a collaboration partner.

Proportion of submissions from each school

The application for the 114th annual program this time has been enthusiastic, with the number of submissions reaching a new high. The projects proposed by various schools cover a wide range of areas, with research themes including semiconductor materials, advanced components and processes, quantum computing, silicon photonics, 6G communication, new energy, space radiation, memory, sensors, secure chips, high-entropy materials, nanomedicine (K-kit), and artificial intelligence, showcasing the research capabilities and diverse innovations of the domestic academic community. In this 114th annual cooperation program selection, the submission ratios from each school are shown in the attached chart. According to the application statistics, the schools with the most submissions are Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, National Tsing Hua University, and National Cheng Kung University. Among them, the research area of "new energy" has seen a significant increase in applications in response to global trends in green energy and sustainable development, ranking alongside "advanced materials and packaging" as the most popular application themes. MA-tek hopes that through the research funding provided by this industry-academia cooperation program, it can assist in accelerating the execution of professors' forward-looking research plans, enhance the quality of analytical testing in domestic academic research, and promote the development of future advanced technologies. Among the many excellent project applications, after rigorous evaluation by MA-tek's internal expert team, careful selection and discussion were conducted regarding the innovative applications, technical challenges, and industrial significance of each project, and the selected list for this cooperation program is as follows.