The Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute has made progress in developing chips capable of operating in temperatures as low as 4 Kelvin (minus-269°C), contributing to domestic quantum and aerospace development, National Institutes of Applied Research president Tsai Hung-yin (蔡宏營) said in an interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) yesterday.
The chip is the first of its kind in Taiwan and is capable of operating at 4 Kelvin, a feat that would bolster Taiwan’s quantum technology development, Tsai said.
The development of such chips would also buttress Taiwan’s development of aerospace technologies, as temperatures in outer space are close to 4 Kelvin, he said.
Photo: Ting An-yu, Taipei Times
The chip can be used in satellite communication systems and equipment, he said, adding that Taiwan’s ability to research and develop such technology removes the need to purchase them from abroad.
The Hsinchu-based semiconductor institute has also developed RAM that would allow in-memory computation, Tsai said.
The success of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry was not achieved over a short time, he said.
The industry could not be where it is today were it not for the decades of efforts of the semiconductor institute’s preceding organizations, the National Nano Device Laboratories and the National Chip Implementation Center, which fostered talent in the industry, he said.
The semiconductor institute’s ability to provide a one-stop solution, from theory to implementation and application, has been the envy of foreign academic organizations, he said.
“We are pursuing overseas collaborations in the form of seminars and tech forums to share our experiences,” Tsai said.
The semiconductor institute is willing to make its services available to academic institutions in Taiwan and around the world to create an open research-and-development platform, he said.
It is also working with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co and other firms to develop the latest copackaged optics technologies, which are expected to become operational by next year, Tsai added.
Meanwhile, the National Center for High-Performance Computing in March introduced the Resilient AI Platform, primarily a business-to-business platform to facilitate the full harnessing of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, Tsai said.
The platform is part of the National Science and Technology Council’s Chip-based Industrial Innovation Program, which has set aside funds to create AI infrastructure from last year to 2028, he said.
For example, the Taichung City Government has used the system to enable collation of geolocation information simply by feeding photographs into the system, he said.
The Penghu County Government has also used the digital twin technology to create a “3D harbor,” enabling the county government to more effectively manage the ships docked there, as well as issue wind and wave warnings, as well as weather forecasts, he added.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
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