ITRI and Oxford Instruments signed an MoU to build a joint laboratory. Attendees included (first row, from left) John Dennis, Representative of British Office Taipei; Alex Y.M. Peng, ITRI EVP; Christian Lang, Oxford Instruments Director of Product.
Semiconductor manufacturers moving into the 2 nm process are facing challenges in accurately measuring the dimensions of key components, such as transistor structure, size, and film thickness. Based on industry's demand for state-of-the-art measurements for in-vehicle electronics and a new generation of semiconductors, the Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has coordinated with the British Office Taipei in jointly promoting cooperation between ITRI and Oxford Instruments. The parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Oct. 28 for a joint laboratory of leading-edge metrology and inspection technology used in semiconductor measurements. The signatories intend to integrate the joint R&D capabilities of ITRI and Oxford Instruments, laying the foundation for next-generation semiconductor measurement capacities.
According to statistics tabulated in a market poll by Mordor Intelligence, the size of the market for semiconductor measurement and testing equipment in 2020 was US$4.1647 billion, and it is expected to reach US$5.3734 billion by 2026, highlighting the enormous potential for development. The DoIT stressed that based on Taiwan's cutting edge in its complete semiconductor industry chain and 2 nm manufacturing technology, the collaboration between ITRI and Oxford Instrument constitutes a milestone in the advanced measurement of semiconductors and will accelerate the development of inspection technologies. Oxford Instruments is a world-renowned multinational instrument and equipment manufacturer, providing advanced products and service around the world, while ITRI possesses world's leading semiconductor measurement technology.