To enhance its research and development capabilities, Chung Yuan Christian University regularly holds “University-level Technology Innovation” lectures. On the morning of May 7th, the university invited Yu Ding-Lu, Group Vice President and President of Applied Materials Taiwan, to deliver a speech, attracting hundreds of students to attend. With the topic “The Road to Innovation,” Yu elaborated on the development history of the semiconductor industry and how Applied Materials became the world’s largest semiconductor and display equipment company, emphasizing the importance of “innovation.” Chung Yuan Christian University hopes that with the assistance of this heavyweight figure from the semiconductor industry, it can accelerate its progress toward the goal of becoming a “semiconductor talent bank.”
In his speech, Yu Ding-Lu pointed out that the origins of semiconductors can be traced back to Bell Labs, established in 1925. The key to Bell Labs’ success was how it enabled individuals with unique and outstanding talents to collaborate. Bell Labs not only conducted applied research but also invested in basic research. In 1947, through the collaboration of three brilliant individuals – John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley – the world’s first innovative transistor was invented, paving the way for William Shockley’s establishment of Silicon Valley’s innovative applied research. In 1957, Fairchild Semiconductor, a company capable of mass-producing transistor chips, was officially founded. In 1968, Intel, the chip giant that ushered in a new era of information computing, was born. In 1974, Intel manufactured the first widely used microprocessor, the Intel 8080, which also marked the beginning of the two major personal computer companies: Microsoft, founded by Bill Gates, and Apple, founded by Steve Jobs.
Yu Ding-Lu stated that these innovations changed the world, and how did Applied Materials join this path of world-changing innovation? And who were the key figures involved? One of the key figures was actually sitting in the audience – Wang Ning-Guo, an alumnus of Chung Yuan Christian University. Yu pointed out that Applied Materials was founded in California, USA in 1967, and one of its investors was Gordon Earle Moore, the man behind Moore’s Law which guided the development of the entire semiconductor industry. He initially invested $10,000. Ten years later, James C. Morgan led Applied Materials’ innovative development. Morgan had a special talent for attracting talent. After visiting Bell Labs, he recruited two individuals, David Wang and Dan Maydan, as well as Sass Somekh from Intel. These three individuals laid the foundation for Applied Materials to become the dominant semiconductor equipment company in the world.
Chung Yuan Christian University is actively promoting semiconductor talent cultivation programs. In addition to collaborating with Applied Materials Taiwan to offer semiconductor equipment courses, it has also established industry-academia collaborations with various domestic semiconductor companies, co-constructed laboratories, opened cross-disciplinary semiconductor programs, and launched international semiconductor classes to recruit international students, among other related initiatives. During this visit, when Yu Ding-Lu and Wang Ning-Guo met with President Lee Ying-Ming of Chung Yuan Christian University, they affirmed the university’s plans to promote semiconductor talent cultivation programs and provided many valuable suggestions. President Lee expressed confidence that with the assistance of these heavyweight figures from the semiconductor industry, Chung Yuan Christian University can move more resolutely toward its goal of becoming a “semiconductor talent bank” and nurture more talents for the semiconductor industry.
