Toward Technologies, Inc. concluded its participation in SEMICON Taiwan 2026, held from September 2 to 4 at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 1. Under the theme "RELAY, REDEFINED.," the company showcased a broader switching technology portfolio at booth K3168 and demonstrated its transition from a traditional relay supplier to an advanced switching solution partner.Toward presented high-speed and RF switching technologies, Opto-SiC MOSFET relays, reed relays, solid-state relays, high-speed inductors and modularized switching solutions. The exhibition highlighted the company's capabilities from individual components to integrated switching architectures for semiconductor testing, ATE, probe cards, load boards, RF test, AI/HPC, EV/BMS and high-voltage measurement applications.As AI/HPC, high-speed computing, advanced semiconductor testing, EV/BMS and high-voltage electronics continue to develop, switching components must meet increasingly demanding requirements for frequency performance, signal integrity, low leakage, isolation, switching speed, channel density and system integration. Toward's product portfolio is designed to address these needs across high-frequency, high-voltage and power-related test systems.Broadband Conical Inductor Supports High-Frequency Test InterfacesA featured product was Toward's Broadband Conical Inductor, developed for RF and semiconductor test applications. The solution supports frequencies up to 60 GHz and targets RF/microwave, high-speed semiconductor testing and advanced test interfaces. It can be used in bias tees, DC bias injection networks, RF chokes and broadband test interfaces.For probe cards, load boards, RF test fixtures and other high-frequency platforms, introducing DC bias while minimizing its effect on the RF signal path is an important design challenge. By combining the Broadband Conical Inductor with switching technology, Toward is extending its capabilities from a single relay component to RF signal paths, bias networks and system-level switching architectures.Toward also displayed a Broadband Conical Inductor Module based on its AI-0260 series inductor and ALC series modules. The solution illustrates the company's ability to connect high-frequency component technology with high-speed I/O and test platform integration.Opto-SiC MOSFET Relay Targets High-Voltage TestingToward's Opto-SiC MOSFET Relay is designed for EV, BMS, power semiconductor and high-voltage electronic systems. The product integrates a silicon carbide MOSFET with an optically coupled control architecture. It retains key solid-state relay advantages, including no mechanical contacts, long operating life and high-speed switching, while extending load-voltage capability to the kV range.The relay targets high-voltage testing, measurement-path switching and automated test applications. It supports Toward's strategy of developing switching technologies for electrification and power semiconductor test systems, in addition to conventional relay applications.Multi-Technology Platform Supports Customer DevelopmentToward also presented reed relays, RF MEMS, solid-state relays, high-speed inductor solutions and modularized switching solutions. Different technologies offer different advantages, including low contact resistance, high reliability, compact design, low leakage, high-frequency switching performance and high-voltage capability. This multi-technology platform allows customers to select a switching architecture according to their application requirements rather than being limited to one relay type.As semiconductor test and ATE architectures become more complex, customers need more than a relay datasheet. Toward provides capabilities in relay design, RF and high-speed technology, silicon carbide, packaging, manufacturing, testing and module integration. Its support can extend from application requirements and component selection to sample verification, switching module development and production introduction.This component-to-subsystem approach helps Toward address signal routing, RF path design, bias networks, isolation, channel density and mechanical integration. The company aims to help customers develop switching solutions that match the electrical, thermal, mechanical and testing conditions of each target system.International Collaboration and Future GrowthToward Chairman Hsu said the 2026 event was the company's most successful SEMICON Taiwan participation in more than a decade. He noted that many of the products displayed were developed for future applications and that the company's technology investments are intended to support growth over the next 10 to 20 years.Business partners from Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan and Singapore also visited Toward's booth. Their participation reflected the company's expanding international network. Toward plans to deepen cooperation with customers and technology partners while strengthening its high-speed, RF, high-voltage, power and modularized switching capabilities.Looking ahead, Toward will continue developing solutions for semiconductor test, AI/HPC, EV/BMS, aerospace and defense, industrial automation and medical devices. Through the message "RELAY, REDEFINED.," the company aims to redefine the role of relays in next-generation electronics and semiconductor test systems and to support practical technology deployment with customers and industry partners. For more information, visit Toward Technologies.Toward Technologies executives at SEMICON Taiwan 2026 in Taipei. Credit: Toward Technologies 

DAS Environmental Experts continues to expand its capabilities in Taiwan and is presenting another new product at SEMICON Taiwan. Against the backdrop of ongoing investments by the Taiwanese semiconductor industry and rising customer demand for local engineering, project management, and service capabilities, DAS Taiwan is expanding its existing Hsinchu office to approximately twice its current size. In doing so, the company is creating the physical conditions necessary for its planned further expansion of personnel and the next phase of growth in the Taiwanese market. DAS Taiwan already employs around 380 people. Looking ahead, the expansion will provide capacity for a workforce increase of about 30 percent. The expansion will take place at the existing location on the same floor. The name and address of the Hsinchu Office will remain unchanged. It is therefore not a new location, but rather part of the ongoing expansion of DAS Environmental Experts' existing organization in Taiwan.ALCEA demonstrates Taiwan's local engineering and innovation strengthIn addition to expanding its Hsinchu office, DAS Environmental Expert is using this year's SEMICON Taiwan to introduce ALCEA, a new solution for the secondary treatment of nitrogen oxides in semiconductor manufacturing. ALCEA was developed in collaboration with the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), with DAS Environmental Expert's Taiwan-based engineering team playing a central role. The system integrates directly into existing waste air systems and can reduce NOx emissions by up to 95 percent without requiring additional floor space in the subfab. This new product thus demonstrates how DAS Environmental Experts combines its proximity to customers and research partners in Taiwan with the company's technological expertise.DAS grows alongside its customers in taiwan's semiconductor marketIn recent years, Taiwan has become one of the most important markets for DAS Environmental Experts. As semiconductor production has expanded and customers have increased their investments, demand for local technical expertise, reliable project execution and service support has also grown. DAS Taiwan has responded by continuously expanding its organisation, establishing new functions and strengthening existing teams."Taiwan is one of the most important growth markets for DAS Environmental Experts. Our customers continue to invest in new and existing semiconductor capacity and expect engineering, project execution and service support directly on site. We are therefore investing consistently in our local organisation and technical capabilities," says Alex Shen, Senior Vice President DAS Asia and General Manager DAS Taiwan. "The expansion in Hsinchu creates the conditions needed to continue growing our team and provide even more comprehensive support to our customers. At the same time, we are advancing our solutions for reducing PFC and NOx emissions and strengthening our local engineering and manufacturing expertise. This allows us to grow alongside our customers and support their long-term expansion in Taiwan."Local expertise for growing semiconductor capacityFor DAS, its growing presence in Taiwan is closely linked to the needs of the semiconductor industry. New and expanded production capacities not only increase the demand for high-performance waste gas treatment and environmental technologies; at the same time, local engineering expertise, reliable project management, and readily available service capabilities are becoming increasingly important to customers.DAS is therefore continuously expanding its capabilities in Taiwan in line with these requirements. In addition to engineering, project execution and service, the company is advancing its solutions for reducing PFC and NOx emissions and strengthening its local manufacturing capabilities. The digitalisation of internal processes, including the introduction of an ERP system, supports the organisation's continued scaling. This stronger local presence enables DAS to support customers directly on site throughout the various stages of their investment and production projects. Short response times, local technical expertise and growing project and service capacity are intended to help implement new requirements quickly and support the reliable operation of installed systems.New working environment supports collaboration and further workforce growthThe expansion approximately doubles the size of the Hsinchu Office. The new premises provide additional workspaces and meeting areas designed to facilitate collaboration between the location's growing teams and different functions. At the same time, DAS Taiwan is investing in a working environment that supports the recruitment, development and long-term retention of qualified employees. In addition to open-plan workspaces and further meeting rooms, the facilities include quiet areas, a wellness and nursing room, and the multifunctional "DAS Tree Zone" for informal meetings, team activities and wellbeing programmes. Abundant natural light and flexible-use spaces are designed to promote collaboration, wellbeing and productivity. The enhanced working environment forms part of DAS Taiwan's long-term growth and talent strategy. In a dynamic semiconductor market, access to qualified engineering, project and service professionals is essential to delivering additional customer projects reliably and continuing to scale the local organisation.Taiwan as a key pillar of DAS's international operationsThe expanded office space is located in the immediate vicinity of the existing Innovation & Support Center (ISC) and forms part of the location's continued development. The ISC provides the technical infrastructure for system demonstrations and test setups and is also used for customer meetings and the training of service technicians. The additional office space now creates the capacity to employ more design engineers, development engineers and other engineering specialists at the location. This will enable development, engineering, technical support and direct customer engagement to be integrated even more closely in the future. For DAS, the development of its Taiwan operations reflects the company's commitment to evolving its organisation in parallel with the investments and requirements of its semiconductor customers. By combining global technological expertise with local engineering, project execution, manufacturing and service capabilities, the company can reliably support customers as their production capacity grows.With a stronger local organization and continuously expanding technical capabilities, DAS is thereby laying the groundwork to support its customers in Taiwan over the long term, even during the semiconductor industry's next phase of growth. Requirements from the Taiwanese market can be addressed immediately on-site and translated into technical solutions in collaboration with the engineering teams at the Dresden headquarters. In this way, DAS Environmental Expert combines the technological and development expertise from Dresden with the market knowledge and direct customer proximity of the team in Taiwan. The new ALCEA product, for example, demonstrates how this collaboration works. This new abatement product once again shows how ideas and requirements from the local market are directly incorporated into the further development of technological solutions. For more information, please visit DAS Official Website.DAS Founder-Dr. Horst Reichardt & DAS Taiwan General Manager-Alex Shen. Credit: DAS Environmental ExpertsGroup Photo of the DAS Team. Credit: DAS Environmental Experts

According to survey data from the Taiwan Society of Sleep Medicine, approximately one in every five people in Taiwan experiences insomnia. Many individuals live under prolonged psychological stress, resulting in an imbalance among stress, sleep, and lifestyle. The Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) states: "When yang qi is exhausted, one sleeps; when yin qi is exhausted, one awakens." This concept suggests that the transition between sleep and wakefulness is fundamentally governed by the dynamic balance of yin and yang.From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), sleep is a process in which yang qi enters and is contained within yin. During the day, yang qi is active and dominant, whereas at night it should retreat inward and be stored within yin to facilitate restful sleep. When the balance between yin and yang is disrupted, yang qi remains excessively active at bedtime and fails to enter yin. This condition, known as "yang failing to enter yin," may correspond to heightened sympathetic nervous system activity, preventing both the body and mind from fully relaxing and resulting in difficulty falling asleep.Soothing the Liver, Nourishing the Blood, and Calming the MindChronic insomnia is often associated with prolonged stress, which may impair the TCM functions of the liver, including the regulation of qi flow (liver governs dispersion and dredging) and the nourishing of the mind through liver blood. Excessive stress can lead to liver qi stagnation, which may transform into internal heat and disturb the mind, causing insomnia. Alternatively, insufficient blood nourishment may fail to adequately support mental tranquility, resulting in poor sleep.Several traditional Chinese herbs are commonly used to address these conditions. Albizia Bark (He Huan Pi) and Rose Flower (Mei Gui Hua) may help soothe liver qi stagnation, relieve stress, and calm the mind. Sour Jujube Seed (Suan Zao Ren) and Lily Bulb (Bai He) are often used to nourish the heart and calm the spirit, thereby improving sleep quality.In addition, applying gentle pressure to the Shenmen (HT7) acupoint, located on the little-finger side of the wrist crease, may help calm the mind, reduce sympathetic nervous system overactivity, and alleviate insomnia.Aligning with Natural Rhythms and Maintaining Lifestyle BalanceTCM emphasizes the importance of "following the rhythms of nature" and maintaining balance in daily life to support healthy sleep. According to the concept of the Zi Wu Liu Zhu (Meridian Circadian Clock), it is recommended to go to bed before 11:00 PM (the beginning of the Zi hour). During this period, qi and blood are believed to circulate through the Gallbladder and Liver meridians, representing the time when yin energy is at its peak and yang energy begins to emerge.Staying awake beyond this time may allow yang activity to increase, which can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and make it more difficult to fall asleep. Additional recommendations for promoting healthy sleep include obtaining adequate sunlight exposure during the daytime, limiting the consumption of coffee and caffeinated tea in the evening, avoiding electronic devices for at least one hour before bedtime, and ensuring that the bedroom is dark, quiet, and maintained at a comfortable temperature.By cultivating harmony between yin and yang and maintaining a balanced lifestyle, individuals may improve sleep quality and support overall physical and mental well-being.