AI on Chip Taiwan Alliance constructs ecosystem for AI chips in Taiwan

　It is foreseeable that artificial intelligence will be the most important technology in the next ten years.  For the ultimate purpose of Taiwan’s push into the AI market through connecting Taiwan’s semiconductor supply chains, the AI on Chip Taiwan Alliance (namely, AITA) was formed in 2019.  On September 21, 2020, AITA held its members’ convention with the full support of the Board of Science and Technology under the Executive Yuan and the Department of Industrial Technology. The convention brought together representatives from the industry, the government, and the academic, research institutions and associations.  Through the platform provided by AITA, more inputs at home and abroad into the development of AI chips on device will be gathered up.  

　AITA has been contributing quite a few achievements and performances as summarized below during almost one year since its establishment.  

1.  AI chips heterogeneous integration by connecting leading semiconductor manufacturers 

In the age of AI and 5G technology, design innovation and packaging technology of chips heterogeneous integration for chips integration are regarded as the driving force for sustaining the development of semiconductor industry in the post-Moore’s Law era.  Through AITA’s connection, MediaTek Inc., ASE Technology Holding Co., Ltd., Silicon Optronics, Inc, and ITRI join hands to develop heterogeneous integration interface, integrating multiple chips of different processes and functions, for the purpose of developing the solution that is expected to reduce 40%~60% module size, lower 25%~40% computing power consumption, and accelerate 20%~35% computing speed, and for accelerating construction of AI computing for all kinds of terminal devices.  

2.  Launch of large-area in-display optical fingerprint sensor chips

With the AITA’s assistance, the leading fingerprint sensor maker and IC designer, Egis Technology enhances AI computing efficiency and shortens development time in order to develop the worldwide first-ever large-area in-display optical fingerprint sensor chips on the basis of analogous AI computing technology.  Through the massive fingerprints database, analogous AI circuit design and self-learning, the large-area in-display optical fingerprint sensor chips can attain higher fingerprint recognition rate, even in case of poor imaging quality.  Equipped with the large-area in-display optical fingerprint sensor chips, advanced products that are anti-counterfeiting and high-efficient but low-cost and low-power will come out to snatch the markets of recognition system on mobile devices, monitoring system for automobiles, security and protection system, and IoT, etc..  

3.  Synopsys’ establishment of AI chip laboratory in Taiwan 

　By cooperating with AITA members, Synopsys Inc. begins to develop relevant core technologies for AI chips and plans to put in more investments to establish an AI R&D center in Taiwan for developing prospective AI design integrated software, introducing AI chips application, compiling software, heterogeneous computing, and verification technology required for AI chips, along with silicon intellectual property, so as to develop advanced AI design solutions.  It is expected that a R&D team will be established within the following two years with an expanded investment of TWD800 million and more than 100 headcounts to push forward upgrading of AI research and development.  (Released 2020.09.21)  

/CCS