Nano is big in Taiwan

Origineel gepubliceerd op de site van Agentschap NL.

Summary
In 2003 the Taiwan government embarked on a six year National Program of NanoTechnology (NPNT). It supports academia and industry to discover and master the opportunities nanotechnology is offering to improve and invent new materials, devices and products. In 2008 the government approved the second phase of NPNT for the period 2009 to 2014. In 2009 the National Science Council started the Nanotechnology Bridge Program for NPNT as a parallel but independent program. This program is promoting the value of nanotechnologies and is stimulating the development of emerging industries. During the past decade NPNT created several core research facilities at national universities and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) became a top institute for industrial nano R&D and applications. The amount of Taiwanese companies applying nanotechnology is growing. Some developed into key players in Taiwan, like TSMC, UMC and XinNano Materials. Product certification with nanoMark helps companies to launch their products on the market.

Introduction
In its 2009 White Paper on Taiwan Industrial Technology, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) focuses on the integration of chemistry, materials science and nanotechnology for developing new materials and innovative applications to aid Taiwan’s electronics, semiconductor, information, communication and optoelectronics industries. Since then the main R&D areas are energy, biomedical , display, electronic and eco-friendly materials.(1)

Background
Already in December 2000 the Taiwan government was shaping nanotechnology policies during the annual meeting of the Science Technology Advisory Group (STAG) of the Executive Yuan and in January 2001 in the National Science & Technology Conference. In June 2002 a six year National Program of Nanotechnology (NPNT) was approved by the cabinet-level National Science Council (NSC). Under the guidance of twenty-five representatives from the STAG, the NSC, the Academia Sinica, the Ministry of Education, the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Atomic Energy Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency and others, NPNT started in January 2003.

National Program of Nanotechnology (NPNT)
The first phase of NPNT was carried out for accelerating the training of manpower for nanotechnology research and building a solid base of core research facilities for nanotechnology development in Taiwan. So by 2005 the STAG indicated in an Industrial Technology Strategy Meeting that the Taiwanese government should actively participate in the development of nanotechnology to accelerate creating industrial benefits and to make Taiwan the most important R&D centre of nanotechnology. The meeting also developed guidelines for the next phase of the NPNT.

The second phase of NPNT was approved in April 2008; again for a period of six years from 2009 to 2014. The aim of the program became the strengthening of government resources for the development of nanotechnology for domestic Taiwanese related industries with the purpose to realize “Nanotechnology Industrialization”. Taiwan’s goal is to turn the results of R&D into industrial applications and competitiveness and to create a foundation for Taiwan’s high-tech industries, according to the program’s director Dr. Wu Maw-kuen of the Institute of Physics of the Academia Sinica.(2)

The first phase started with almost US$ 600 million (2003) in funding. Funding of the second of NPNT amounts to US$ 726 million (2008). During the first phase more than 4,000 science papers and 120 patents have been published and eight top-notch research teams were initiated. Ties between industry, universities and research institutes have been reinforced.

Research scope of Phase II NPNT
Basic research in Phase II is concentrated on seven topics:

New nano-catalysts and enzymes;
Nano interface research;
Nanoelectronics and optoelectronics;
New Instruments for developing nanostructures and measurements;
Cutting-edge biomedical optoelectronics;
Environmental, health and safety studies for nanomaterials;
Fundamental materials research in nanoelectronics, nanophotonics, bioelectronics, molecular-electric and optoelectronics.

Applied research in Phase II is concentrated on:

Medical applications such as drug delivery, radiation treatment, cell therapy, tissue engineering and disease-oriented nanotech applications.
Agricultural applications such as nano or submicron materials, water transmission systems, identification and tracking systems.
Nano-electronics, among other things spin-FET, optoelectronics with nano-CMOS, semiconductor memories with 45/22 nm node, RRAM, 3D-IC technology, nano-optoelectronics featuring nano-LED and flexible electronics.
Energy and environmental technology: new generation solar cells, nanomaterials for fuel cells and energy storage systems, power generation and thermoelectric cooling, nano environmentally friendly materials.
Nanomaterials and traditional industries (functional nanocomposites, multi functional nano-hybrid membranes, nanoporous materials, inorganic nano-films, nano-structured fibers).

Additional activities include:

Legal aspectssuch as a regulatory system for nanomedicine and nanofood . Also international standards and a counselling system.
Instruments for nano, including developing, building, operating highly advanced tools, nano measurement standards, education, training and skills development.
The Ministry of Education initiates Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) research, manpower training, standards and the promotion of nanoMark certification.

Nanotechnology Bridge Program for NPNT
In 2012 almost all the funding has been committed and many projects are running. In 2009 NSC started the national Nanotechnology Bridge Program for NPNT. It aims at the promotion of the value of nanotechnologies and the stimulation of the development of emerging industries as a parallel but independent program. Elements of this program’s mission are setting up an inventory on technologies created by NPNT and preliminary market assessment, strategic planning for R&D achievements and the promotion of nanotechnology for commercialization.

Figure 1. Taiwan’s major nano facilities

NPNT Goals and Results
The first part of the “NTNP Build and Share Core Facilities Project” was geared to creating core facilities for academic research, including (see fig. 1):

Development of state-of-the-art research tools for nano-science and technology at Academia Sinica;
Center for Microscopy and Nano Analysis (a subdivision under Center for Nano Science) at the National Taiwan University;
Core Facility for Nano Fabrication and Nano Characterization at the University System of Taiwan;
An infrastructure Project of the Nanoscience and Technology Center in Central Taiwan;
The establishment of core facilities for the Southern Taiwan Nanotechnology Research Center (STNRC);
A core facility for Nano Lithography and Nano Biotechnology at the University System of Taiwan;
The Nano Laboratory for the Kaohsiung and Ping-Tung Areas;
The Nano Science and Technology Research Center in Eastern Formosa.

The second part focuses on core facilities for industrial application. Since nano R&D requires close collaboration between industries, academica and international networks, the use of core facilities is targeted at cross-field cooperation. On this basis, ITRI has set up the Nanotechnology Research and Development Center on January 16, 2002, and has completed the construction of the Nano Common Laboratory. Other related core facilities are: the National Nano Device Laboratories (NDL) and National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC)

The Taiwanese industry amassed almost US$ 10 billion (2008) in the five years before 2008 as a result of the first six year NPNT program, according to an official of the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD).(5) More than eight hundred Taiwanese manufacturers use nanotechnology in one way or another. They are mainly active in the electronic industries but also in more traditional industries like textiles.

Taiwan Nano Exhibition
NPNT organizes demonstrations of the achievements of the program. The next (10^th) exhibition will be between October 3^rd and 5^th at the Taipei World Trade Center. During this venture two hundred booth welcome close to fifteen thousand visitors. Government, foreign and domestic industries showcase their technologies here.(6)

For an overview of the key players please contact NOST Tokyo.

Sources