As AI, high-performance computing (HPC), and advanced packaging continue to move toward higher levels of power integration, chip power consumption is rising rapidly. Thermal management has therefore become a critical factor affecting performance, reliability, and system design. World Diamond Technology is advancing its large-area diamond growth technology and accelerating the mass production of 300 mm diamond wafers to address the thermal management needs of AI chips and advanced packaging. Five Key Priorities for Mass ProductionThe 300 mm wafer is currently the mainstream format in advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Scaling diamond materials from conventional smaller sizes to 300 mm involves far more than simply increasing the surface area. It also presents multiple technical challenges related to large-area material processing, uniformity, thickness, flatness, internal stress, and surface quality. World Diamond Technology has continued to advance its large-area diamond growth technology and has secured a Taiwan patent (TW Patent: I840846). Its mass-production strategy focuses on five key priorities:(1)Optimizing the diamond growth process through proprietary WDCVDTM diamond growth technology to ensure consistency across large-area wafers.(2)Precisely controlling wafer thickness and uniformity to meet the stringent requirements of advanced packaging thermal management modules.(3)Strengthening flatness and internal stress management to improve yield and reliability.(4)Optimizing surface quality and process consistency to minimize defects.(5)Continuously improving production yield and capacity while establishing a stable supply chain to support customers' volume-production requirements. By advancing toward the 300 mm format, World Diamond Technology aims to increase the potential for integrating diamond materials with existing semiconductor processes and wafer-level application platforms, enabling diamond to progress from a specialty material toward large-scale adoption across the semiconductor industry. Advantages of Diamond MaterialsDiamond offers multiple advantages as a thermal management material. Its thermal conductivity can exceed 1,500 W/(m·K), significantly outperforming conventional heat-dissipation materials. Diamond also features an extremely low coefficient of thermal expansion, helping substantially improve device reliability.In addition, diamond delivers exceptional hardness, wear resistance, high-temperature durability, and chemical stability. These properties enable it to resist corrosion, operate reliably in high-temperature environments, extend product service life, and reduce the total cost of ownership. Targeting AI Chips and Advanced Packaging ApplicationsWorld Diamond Technology's  300 mm diamond wafers will focus on high-power, high-heat-flux semiconductor applications, including:(1)AI GPUs and HPC systems(2)Data centers and servers(3)2.5D and 3D advanced packaging(4)High-power laser devices(5)Automotive electronics and power modules As advanced packaging architectures become increasingly complex, thermal management is evolving from conventional system-level cooling toward package-level, device-level, and even wafer-level solutions. Consequently, the importance of high-thermal-conductivity materials will continue to grow. Diamond Technology Powering a High-Efficiency FutureWorld Diamond Technology stated that the 300 mm diamond wafer represents an important milestone in the company's efforts to industrialize large-area diamond materials. In the next phase, the company will continue to focus on process stabilization, yield improvement, specification standardization, customer validation, and the establishment of volume-production capabilities. It will also actively pursue collaboration with semiconductor manufacturers, advanced packaging companies, thermal module suppliers, and end-system providers. To meet the rapidly growing thermal management demands of the AI era, World Diamond Technology will continue to advance diamond materials from material development to practical semiconductor applications. The company is accelerating the establishment of a comprehensive technology portfolio spanning diamond wafers, diamond lids, diamond heat spreaders, and system-level thermal management solutions, positioning itself to capture opportunities in the next generation of high-power chips and advanced packaging. Discover the latest developments in diamond wafer technology at SEMICON Taiwan 2026. We cordially invite you to visit World Diamond Technology at Booth S7546 on the 4th floor of Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 2.

Taiwan is home to the world's most advanced semiconductor ecosystem. The island produces over 60% of global contract chip manufacturing and dominates key segments from IC design to advanced packaging. For international engineers, joining this ecosystem represents an opportunity to work at the frontier of chip technology - but succeeding here requires more than technical brilliance. It demands the ability to navigate a workplace culture shaped by decades of uniquely Taiwanese management practices, communication norms, and collaborative traditions.When Indonesian engineer Fabrice first arrived in Taiwan eight years ago, he assumed that technical expertise would determine his career trajectory in the semiconductor industry. Instead, he discovered that communication - not engineering - would become his steepest learning curve. Today, working as a Facilities (FAC) engineer at ASE Technology Holding (ASE), the world's largest semiconductor packaging and testing services provider, Fabrice sees himself not just as an engineer but as a bridge connecting Taiwanese managers with multinational teams.His experience is echoed by two younger Indonesian interns - IOSIF and Regina - both working in Sigurd Microelectronics Corp as  packaging and testing sector. Together, their stories suggest that Taiwan's systematic efforts to cultivate international talent are beginning to yield tangible results - and that the cross-cultural skills they have gained are becoming as valuable as their technical expertise.The transformation did not happen by chance. Through cross-cultural communication programs supported by Taiwan's Industrial Development Administration (IDA) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, combined with on-the-job training from their employers and academic support from institutions such as Cheng Shiu University and Lunghwa University of Science and Technology, these young engineers learned that overcoming cultural barriers requires more than mastering Mandarin. It demands active listening, empathy, and the ability to interpret what is left unsaid.Navigating Taiwan's Communication Culture: Efficiency Meets HarmonyFor international professionals entering Taiwan's semiconductor workforce, one of the first adjustments involves understanding how Taiwanese colleagues communicate - a style that blends directness in pursuit of efficiency with a deep-seated respect for interpersonal harmony.For Fabrice, this was one of his earliest revelations. Growing up in Indonesia, conversations were often slower and more indirect in order to preserve social harmony. In Taiwan, colleagues spoke much more directly in pursuit of operational efficiency. At first, he interpreted their straightforwardness as unfriendly, only to realize later that it reflected a different communication culture rather than personal intent. Living in southern Taiwan added another layer of complexity, where meetings occasionally shifted into Taiwanese Hokkien - a regional dialect distinct from Mandarin - requiring him to ask follow-up questions after discussions.Those experiences shaped a simple but effective strategy: listen first, pause, and ask questions before making assumptions. Over four years at ASE, he says those habits have significantly strengthened both his emotional intelligence and his confidence in negotiating with Taiwanese vendors and multinational colleagues.IOSIF ( Chinese name: Li Zhongdi), who will join Sigurd Microelectronics Corp. as an engineer in Hukou while completing his Electrical Engineering degree at Lunghwa University, encountered a different dimension of the same communication culture. "Taiwanese colleagues, he discovered, rarely reject proposals outright. Instead, phrases such as "We'll think about it" or "Let's discuss it later" often serve as polite signals of disagreement - a reflection of the cultural importance placed on preserving "face" (miànzi) for all parties. Learning to read between the lines became essential for avoiding misunderstandings. Rather than viewing these indirect responses as obstacles, Joseph learned to probe gently with clarifying questions, allowing discussions to move forward without causing either side to lose face.Regina, another Indonesian student from Lunghwa University, will join Sigurd Microelectronics Corp. as a packaging and testing engineer in Hsinchu - Taiwan's semiconductor heartland, recalls that her biggest obstacle was not technical terminology but everyday workplace language. Local idioms such as mòmíng qímiào ( roughly "That doesn't make any sense") and heavily abbreviated Taiwanese expressions initially left her confused, though local colleagues often helped explain their meaning. Over time, she adopted an important communication habit: paraphrasing what others had said before responding. By repeating instructions or discussions in her own words, she created opportunities for teammates to correct misunderstandings immediately, preventing small communication gaps from escalating into costly engineering errors.Where Cultural Differences Become Innovation: Complementary Strengths in ActionBeyond communication, cultural diversity directly influences how engineering problems get solved in Taiwan's semiconductor fabs and testing facilities. Rather than creating friction, the interviewees found that different working styles often produce stronger outcomes when combined effectively.Joseph experienced this firsthand during a project where competing cultural priorities threatened progress. Taiwanese engineers tended to prioritize process discipline, quality assurance, and long-term reliability - hallmarks of the island's manufacturing excellence that have earned global customers' trust. Meanwhile, many international teammates focused on speed and meeting tight deadlines. Rather than allowing either approach to dominate, Joseph proposed building a small beta version. The prototype allowed the Taiwanese team to verify quality while enabling the project to stay on schedule-demonstrating that innovation often emerges from combining different approaches rather than choosing one over the other. He credits active listening and empathy for helping him recognize that workplace conflicts usually stem from differing assumptions rather than someone simply being wrong.Regina believes cultural diversity ultimately strengthens engineering teams. In her experience, Taiwanese colleagues excel at maintaining stability, following standard operating procedures, and pursuing perfection, while international teammates often contribute greater flexibility, speed, and creative thinking. Rather than viewing these traits as competing strengths, she sees them as complementary. She also applies empathy during negotiations, consciously asking why a colleague's perspective makes sense within their cultural context before searching for solutions that satisfy all parties involved.Drawing on his multicultural experience, Fabrice believes different nationalities bring complementary strengths that mirror the semiconductor industry's own need for both precision and adaptability. He describes Indonesians as practical and quick to solve problems, while Taiwanese colleagues tend to be more structured, rule-oriented, and focused on long-term solutions. In one recent project, he acted as the bridge between a Taiwanese manager and a Filipino engineering team, translating complex technical concepts into simpler language and helping each side understand the other's working style. By combining flexibility with discipline, the team completed the project ahead of schedule - reinforcing his belief that cultural diversity creates stronger teams.A Family-Like Workplace Culture: With Room to GrowFor international engineers considering a move to Taiwan, workplace culture is often a deciding factor. All three engineers praise Taiwanese companies for creating a welcoming, family-like environment that sets them apart from many multinational corporations. Managers and colleagues frequently check whether employees have eaten or how they are adapting to life in Taiwan, making foreign workers feel genuinely supported on both professional and personal levels.Yet they also identify one area for improvement: hierarchical organizational structures can discourage international employees from openly challenging managers or expressing dissenting opinions during meetings. Fabrice takes this observation further, arguing that Taiwan's semiconductor industry would benefit from promoting more international professionals into leadership positions. Greater diversity among managers, he believes, would not only improve inclusion but also enable companies to better serve their increasingly global customers and workforces.What International Engineers Gain from Taiwan's Semiconductor EcosystemDespite coming from different companies and career stages, Fabrice, Joseph, and Regina arrived at remarkably similar conclusions. Technical expertise may open the door to Taiwan's world-leading semiconductor industry, but long-term success depends on the ability to bridge cultures. The communication training provided through government initiatives, universities, and employers has equipped them with practical tools - active listening, clarifying questions, paraphrasing, empathy, and cultural awareness - that extend far beyond the classroom and are transferable to any global workplace.As Taiwan seeks to attract and retain more international semiconductor talent, these young engineers demonstrate that the industry's next competitive advantage may not come from faster chips alone, but from people capable of connecting diverse teams across cultures. For engineers worldwide considering where to build their semiconductor careers, Taiwan offers not just cutting-edge technology but a unique environment where cross-cultural competence becomes a career-defining skill.

Interested in knowing how to solve the microcrack problem in through-glass via (TGV) fabrication? Interested in knowing how to supply 1,000 Watts, 1 Volt and 1,000 Amperes electricity to semiconductor IC chips in an AI multichip package? Interested in knowing how to increase the glass panel size for manufacturing AI multichip packages? If so, visit iCometrue® at Booth M0957, Hall 1, 4F, Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center during SEMICON Taiwan 2026!Benefiting from their excellent thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties, glass substrates have emerged as a promising platform for large-size, high-performance AI multichip packages. At SEMICON Taiwan 2025 last year, iCometrue® exhibited the Through-Polymer-Via (TPV) Connector, a novel technology that provides vertical interconnection in Glass Cores for use in Glass Interposers and BGA substrates to solve the microcrack problem in glass substrates caused by TGV fabrication.At SEMICON Taiwan 2026 this year, iCometrue® plans to exhibit solutions for delivering over 1,000 W and over 200 A of power supply to the high-performance AI multichip package. The solutions include:(1) Embedding Cu Blocks in Glass Substrates for Power/Ground DeliveryCu blocks are used to replace TPVs/TGVs for power/ground delivery. This approach significantly reduces the number of TPVs/TGVs originally used for power/ground delivery through the glass substrate by 80%, thereby lowering fabrication complexity, improving manufacturing yield, and reducing manufacturing costs.A current high-performance AI multichip package, comprising GPU chips and HBM modules, has more than 10,000 I/Os for power, ground, signal, and clock distribution, which requires more than 10,000 TGVs/TPVs in the glass substrate. 80% of these TGVs/TPVs in the glass substrate are used for power/ground delivery. Using Cu blocks to replace TPVs/TGVs for power/ground delivery results in an 80% reduction in the number of TPVs/TGVs, thereby lowering fabrication complexity, improving manufacturing yield, and reducing manufacturing costs. Nowadays high-performance semiconductor IC chips in AI multichip packages typically require more than 1,000 W of power. Since power (P) is given by P=I×V, a 1 V operation voltage of semiconductor IC chips corresponds to a current over 1,000 A.As shown in Fig. 1, the embedded Cu blocks provide the power/ground voltage and current paths that would otherwise require a large number of TPVs or TGVs in the glass substrate. The remaining TPVs/TGVs (approximately 20%) are reserved for signal and clock transmission. Consequently, the embedded Cu blocks significantly reduce the number of TPVs/TGVs in the glass substrate.The formation of embedded Cu blocks in glass substrates is achieved by inserting Cu blocks into pre-formed large holes in the glass substrate. This process is similar to the TPV Connector embedding process in glass substrates previously disclosed at SEMICON Taiwan 2025.(2) Packaging Voltage Converter/Regulator (VCR) chips in AI Multichip PackagesThe VCR chips are packaged vertically under and close to the GPU chip within the AI multichip package. The embedded VCR chips convert the 1,000 W, 48 V, 21 A power supply from external circuits to 1,000 W, 1 V, 1,000 A for the GPU chip. As shown in Fig. 1, copper blocks provide a low resistance power delivery system from external circuits to the embedded VCR chips, and resulting in reduction of the heat generation.(3) Embedding Si Bridges, DTCs, and VCR chips in the Frontside Interconnection Scheme Over the Glass SubstrateAt SEMICON Taiwan 2025, iCometrue® demonstrated that Si bridges and DTCs are embedded in large holes within the glass substrate. Here in Fig. 1, iCometrue® shows that Si bridges, DTCs, and VCR chips are instead embedded in the frontside interconnection scheme over the glass substrate, while the TPV connectors and copper blocks are embedded in large holes in the glass substrate. This approach further simplifies the fabrication of the AI multichip package using a glass substrate.(4) Installing Electrical/Optical Connectors at the Edges of the AI Multichip PackageWhen glass substrates are used for multichip packaging, power and signals are usually input and output via the solder balls on the bottom of the multichip package through the backside interconnection (under the glass substrate), TPVs/TGVs (in the glass substrate), and the frontside interconnection (over the glass substrate) to the semiconductor chips. As discussed above, the fabrication of TPVs/TGVs is one of the major challenges in glass-substrate technology. To solve this problem, iCometrue® has introduced an innovative architecture that enables a large-size System-on-Panel (SOP) multichip package using a thick glass substrate without TPVs/TGVs.As shown in Fig. 2, power and signals are delivered through electrical and/or optical connectors located at the edges of the multichip package rather than through solder balls on the bottom of the package. The glass substrate is used as a panel-level fabrication platform and remains in the final package to provide mechanical support. An interconnection scheme (metal line and polymer) is built on the glass substrate, with electronic components such as interconnection bridges, integrated passive devices (IPDs), and VCR chips embedded within it. Semiconductor chips (CPU, GPU, ASIC, HBM) are then flip-chip bonded onto the interconnection scheme above the glass substrate. Electrical and/or optical connectors, together with passive components, are mounted on the top surface of the interconnection scheme using surface-mount technology (SMT).Credit:iCometrueBecause power and signals are supplied by the edge connectors instead of bottom solder balls, signal transmission and power distribution from the edge connectors to semiconductor chips are through the interconnection scheme. Consequently, no TPVs or TGVs are required in the glass substrate, enabling large-size System-on-Panel (SOP) packages. Further, since no TPVs or TGVs are required, a thicker glass substrate can be used, which greatly reduces the bending of the glass panel. Thereby, the size of the glass panel used in the fabrication can be greatly increased.More than Moore: The Use of Glass Substrates for Multichip PackagingiCometrue® is pioneering a new era of advanced multichip packaging by introducing glass substrates with embedded TPV Connectors and Cu blocks, providing a practical and scalable alternative to conventional TGV-based processes. Further, embedding Si bridges, DTCs, and VCR chips in the frontside interconnection scheme over the glass substrate simplifies the fabrication of the AI multichip package. Combined with the TPV/TGV-free thick glass substrate architecture for System-on-Panel (SOP) packaging, these technologies establish a foundation for the next generation of multichip integration, extending Moore's Law into the era of glass-based system packaging and accelerating the advancem