如何Singapore Connects芯片研究,Startups和制造业

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As competition in the semiconductor industry expands beyond conventional process scaling to encompass photonics, power devices, advanced packaging, and heterogeneous integration, Singapore leverages its established R&D and manufacturing base to explore ways to bring deep tech to market. Singapore is advancing technologies including advanced packaging, silicon photonics, power electronics, RF GaN, piezoMEMS, flat optics, and IC design. A pathway from research through technology translation to startups and industrial commercialization is gradually taking shape. Research platforms such as the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) play a key role in connecting research outcomes with industry needs. Three examples illustrate this journey: silicon carbide (SiC) power device research at A*STAR’s Institute of Microelectronics ( A*STAR IME ); metalens technology being commercialized by Singapore-based startup MetaOptics ; and silicon photonics foundry Advanced Micro Foundry (AMF), which emerged from A*STAR’s technology translation efforts before being acquired by GlobalFoundries . Together, they show how deep-tech innovations can progress from research and technology translation to industrial scale. Chien Yu-Chieh (Jack), a senior scientist at A*STAR IME originally from Taiwan, focuses on SiC power MOSFETs, including device structures, process development, electrical characterization, and reliability. He aims to take his research beyond device development toward technology translation. SiC is already an established material for commercial power semiconductors, but next-generation devices still face significant technical challenges. Chien noted, for example, that trench MOSFETs can reduce on-resistance but introduce challenges related to gate oxide integrity, defects at the SiC/SiO₂ interface, and long-term reliability. Chien is therefore working on next-generation SiC device structures and fabrication processes. Because device design, fabrication, measurement, and reliability testing require repeated validation, access to a comprehensive research platform with the necessary equipment and cross-disciplinary expertise is critical. At A*STAR IME, he said, researchers can conduct device design, process development, and electrical characterization within the same R&D environment, shortening development cycles. For Chien, the next step is to advance his research toward technology translation, potentially by establish a startup to turn the results into commercial applications and valuable IP. Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Singapore, MetaOptics specializes in manufacturing metalenses on glass substrates. Its technology uses nanoscale structures to directly control light waves, enabling thin optical elements to perform some of the functions traditionally achieved with multiple conventional lenses. MetaOptics applies semiconductor manufacturing techniques to form nanoscale pillar structures on 12-inch glass wafers. By incorporating processes such as deep ultraviolet (DUV) immersion lithography, the company is advancing wafer-level metalens manufacturing. The approach could help shrink optical modules for smartphone cameras, wearables, machine vision, and other sensing systems. For MetaOptics CEO Aloysius Chua , the real challenge is not simply demonstrating that a metalens can form an image, but convincing customers that the technology works in real-world applications. For a deep-tech startup, developing a prototype is only the beginning. As Chua put it, “I need to show customers that my lens is working.” Chua said MetaOptics must also complete customer validation and address process consistency, yield, and manufacturing scale. As nanoscale structures, optical design, and semiconductor lithography move toward volume production, process control becomes a key determinant of commercial competitiveness. A*STAR provides research resources and an R&D environment to help technologies bridge the gap between laboratory dev