4^th TSMC Outstanding Student Research Award

Call for Applications

The purpose of the TSMC Outstanding Student Research Award is to recognize exceptional semiconductor related researches carried out by graduate students. Experimental or first principle researches oriented to both technological applications as well as fundamental understanding are welcome. General areas of interest are in four categories as follows:

Category I: Circuit Design Technologies

This area covers the broad scope of circuit design, including digital, analog and RF. Specific areas for reference are:

• Theory and / or modeling of circuit architectures
• Design and characteristics of novel architectures
• Design for manufacturing
• Device and Circuit co-optimization techniques for power and performance management
• High precision and high performance device and circuit design architectures
• Design Automation

Category II: Electronic Device, Process and Patterning Technologies

This area includes a wide range of electronic device structures, including Si CMOS, sensors, memory technologies, TCAD, and MEMS. Also accepted are processing techniques for the manufacturing of electronic devices. Specific areas for reference are:

• Nano-scale Si devices and device physics understanding
• Novel solid state and nano-electronic devices, including organic electronics and bio-electronics
• Reliability physics of devices and interconnects
• Novel processes in the areas of thin-film deposition / growth, etching, diffusion and lithography

• Theory and / or modeling of lithographic imaging

• Silicon-in-Package (including 3D IC) and associated processing technologies

• Impact of processing on device physical and electrical characteristics
• Process optimization for improved device performance / yield / reliability / manufacturability

Category III: Physics and Chemistry of Electronic Materials

This area covers the whole range of materials used in the manufacture of nano-scale electronics devices. Specific areas for reference are:

• New materials for electronic applications
• Novel materials characterization techniques
• Characterization techniques for nano-scale devices and materials
• Theory and or modeling of materials properties
• Impact of materials properties on device characteristics (yield, reliability, manufacturability)

Category IV: Green Electronics

This area covers the broad scope of electronics in relation to solar and lightening energy. Specific areas for reference are:

·        Novel device structures

·        New device and package materials and associated process techniques

·        Physical, chemical, optical and electrical characterization techniques for materials, devices and packages

·        Device physics understanding and modeling of electrical, optical performance

• Reliability physics of materials, devices and packages, and reliability assurance methods

Eligibility

Researches in relevance to the areas of interest carried out in 2009 academic year are eligible for the 4th TSMC Outstanding Student Research Award competition.

Applications

Applications must be submitted electronically to Alex Wei at lhweib@tsmc.com before midnight of May 31, 2010.   Prior to preparing your submission, please read the following guidelines carefully.

• Maximum 3-page extended abstract (1 page text, 2 pages figures, drawings) together with application form (page 5-7 in this announcement) indicating the category of your submission, the purpose of the research, the manner and degree to which this research advances the field, and the significance of the specific results found in the research. The materials will be used for preliminary review by the review panel.
• It is accepted that you send your research title, personal information (name, university, major, email, phone, advisor’s name) to acquire a registration number before your submission.
• Applications must be accompanied by recommendations from the applicant’s research advisor. The recommendations shall highlight the significance of the research itself rather than the author’s personal merits.
• Applicant’s published papers related to the research could be attached as supporting materials (max. 1 published papers attached).
• Applicant who enters into the final competition must submit the slides 7 days prior to the presentation.
• All written applications, supporting materials, and oral presentation must be in English.  The applications and recommendations must be on Microsoft Word; the slides for final competition, on Microsoft PowerPoint.

• To avoid the author’s publication conflicts, submissions will be used for award competition only.

Review

Award Committee

The Award Committee administers the awards.  Recipients of the Award are selected by a independent selection panel of technology leaders, including TSMC Fellow, Academician, invited IEEE Fellow and prominent faculty members in the domain of each category.  In this manner, the image and prestige of the recognition and the profession are enhanced.  This year, the core members of the Award Committee are:

·        Dr. Burn Lin, Chairman of this Award Committee. He is the senior director of the Nano Pattering Technology Division at TSMC, a member of the US National Academy of Engineering, Fellows of IEEE and SPIE. He was awarded 2 TSMC Innovation Awards, 10 IBM Invention Awards, the IBM Outstanding Technical Contribution Award, the SPIE Frits Zernike Award, and recently the IEEE Cledo Brunetti Award and the OSU Benjamin G. Lamme Medal in 2009.

·        Dr. Fu-lung Hsueh is the director of Design Technology Division at TSMC, and is a fellow of the TSMC Academy. Prior to joining TSMC in 2003, he worked at Sarnoff Corporation (former RCA Research Center) in Princeton, New Jersey, for 22 years. His major technical experiences include mixed-signal circuits, flat-panel display, and CMOS/CCD image sensor designs. He received 5 outstanding technical achievement awards at Sarnoff, and 3 Chairman Innovation Awards at TSMC.

·        Dr. Anthony Oates is the director of Technology Reliability Physics Research at TSMC, and is a fellow of the TSMC Academy. He is currently the editor-in-chief of the IEEE Transactions on Device and Materials Reliability, and a past general chair of the IEEE International Reliability Physics Symposium.

Selection Criteria

• Technical Depth: The research presents or supports a finding or conclusion with significant potential value to the target audience.
• Innovation: Refer to the contribution of significant new information or insights.
• Technical and Logical Validity: Refers to the strength and intellectual quality of the idea, how supporting rationale is expressed, and the soundness of the thought processes in reaching conclusions.
• Accuracy: Refers to specific language used to capture an idea or concept precisely and accurately in respective technical field. Vague or undefined terms should be avoided.
• Simplicity: Refers to the degree an idea is conveyed quickly and clearly.

Preliminary Review

• The Review Panel will rate abstracts in each category according to the selection criteria.
• Up to 8 contestants in each category will be selected for the final competition, and they will be informed individually of the date and venue of the final competition.

Final Competition

• The contestants in finalist round are required to make a 15-minute presentation to the Review Panel, followed by a 10-minute question-and-answer period.

Schedule

• Registration
• Applications due: May 31, 2010 (overdue will be disqualified)
• Final Competition: July 13, 16, 20, 23, 2010
• Award Ceremony: Aug. 20, 2010 (Fri)

Award

·        Top 3 winners of the final contestants of each category will be honored with award of

u           Gold Prize: Medal and cash prize USD 6,000.

u           Silver Prize: Medal and cash prize USD 4,000

u           Bronze Prize: Medal and cash prize USD 2,000

• Commendation: Other contestants in final competition will be honored with certificate and cash prize USD 500 each.

·        Overseas winners and their research advisors will be provided with complimentary round-trip flight to the award ceremony to be held in TSMC’s headquarters in Taiwan, as well as 2 nights hotel accommodation.

附：全部信息及报名表4th TSMC Outstanding Student Research Award Announcement[1].doc