TSMC executive says 'no shortcuts' to chipmaking excellence

Hsinchu, Sept. 7 (CNA) Y.P. Chyn (秦永沛), a top executive at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), said Monday there are "no shortcuts" to excellence in chipmaking as he received one of Taiwan's most prestigious industrial technology honors.

Chyn, TSMC's executive vice president and co-chief operating officer, made the remarks during a ceremony in Hsinchu at which he was inducted as an Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) laureate.

"For nearly 40 years, I have always believed there are no shortcuts to excellence in semiconductor manufacturing and technology research and development," Chyn said, reflecting on his career at the world's largest contract chipmaker.

He said he had worked with TSMC's operations teams to overcome "countless technical bottlenecks" and turn advanced manufacturing technologies into mass-production capabilities that helped drive global technological innovation.

Chyn recounted his journey, saying he joined ITRI's Electronics Research and Service Organization after graduating from National Cheng Kung University in 1982, and that the four and a half years he spent there "laid the foundation for my semiconductor career."

He later joined the newly established TSMC in 1987 as one of its early employees.

Looking back on the development of Taiwan's semiconductor industry, Chyn called it a "Taiwan miracle" and said the government-backed ITRI had played a critical role at a pivotal time.

He said ITRI's efforts to cultivate talent and transfer personnel "laid the talent foundation" for TSMC when the chipmaker was established, helping pave the way for both TSMC's success and Taiwan's rise as a global semiconductor powerhouse.

Chyn also thanked TSMC founder Morris Chang (張忠謀) for creating the foundry business model, which he described as "a business model that changed the world." He also thanked Chairman and CEO C.C. Wei (魏哲家), former Chairman Mark Liu (劉德音), his colleagues and his family.

President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), who presented Chyn with his laureate certificate, said Chyn had led teams in achieving yield breakthroughs in processes ranging from 28 nanometers to 2 nanometers, helping cement TSMC's leadership in advanced manufacturing.

Chyn's contributions have also helped Taiwan "remain at the core of the global supply chain in the era of AI and high-performance computing," Lai added.

Realtek Semiconductor Corp. Chairman Chiu Sun-chien (邱順建) and Taipei Veterans General Hospital Superintendent Chen Wei-ming (陳威明) were also inducted as ITRI laureates at the same ceremony.