Students in the interdisciplinary statistics course under the General Education Industry-Academia Collaboration Program presented their learning outcomes through a poster exhibition (video).
Student reflections from Professor Shyh-Chyang Luo's 2025 Fall course, “The Magic Behind the Chip: Modern Materials and Atomic-Scale Processes” (now titled “Chip Materials Science”):
“I now understand how differences in materials affect technology, and I realize how challenging it is for Taiwan to maintain its important position in the semiconductor industry. I am also no longer afraid of reading scientific articles.”
- Chen, Year 4 student, Accounting
“This course helped me understand wafer fabrication in a systematic way. As a business school student, I often had no idea how to approach or analyze the semiconductor industry. After this semester, I found that I can now understand some technical terms and even explain basic concepts to senior electrical engineering students. The course has sparked my interest in the tech industry, and I am now actively looking for finance-related internships in the sector.”
- Chung, Year 4 student, Accounting
“My biggest takeaway from this course is that when I read investment reports, I no longer need to spend time looking up technical terms such as Dk, Df, and ABF, or semiconductor materials other than silicon, such as GaN and GaAs. If I become a semiconductor researcher in the future, this course will have given me the essential foundational knowledge for research.”
- Huang, Year 2, Finance
“As I learned more about some of these technologies, I realized that we are at the center of global technological development, with both geographic and historical advantages. I also came to see that this field is shaped by geopolitical dynamics. I believe Taiwanese people should understand their country’s technologies, as well as the roles of different companies and countries involved. To reach that level of understanding, I think it is essential to grasp the underlying principles.”
- Ku, Finance student
“One idea I really enjoyed learning about in this course is the ‘use of defects.’ Defects are not always bad; they can also have meaningful effects on semiconductor materials. As a Japanese major, I learned that industries such as photoresists, and even TSMC, have established facilities in Japan. This course gave me a basic understanding of semiconductors and will help me pursue future opportunities in Japanese tech companies.”
- Wu, Year 1 student, Japanese Language And Literature
“As a relatively uncommon introductory course in materials science, this class has been very rewarding. I gained a deeper understanding of semiconductors, including the limitations of brute-force EUV approaches, and the trade-off between resolution and sensitivity. I found the design of photoresists particularly interesting, and it is impressive that someone thought of protecting hydroxyl groups. That idea reminds me of option hedging in finance, where effects only surface under specific conditions. While I do not plan to pursue a career in the semiconductor industry, I believe this course has enhanced my investment perspective and helped me better identify industry bottlenecks and development trends.”
- Tsai, Year 4 student, Information Management
“After taking this course over the semester, I feel that it really lives up to its name as a General Education course. The lecturers explained concepts from the very basics, making the course easy to follow and building my confidence in taking science-related courses. During the winter break, I even enrolled in an online general physics course. I also noticed that I am no longer as lost when reading news articles about the semiconductor industry. Although I do not plan to pursue a career in semiconductors, I now feel that the field is not as out of reach as I once thought.”
- Lee, Year 2 student, Business Administration