Department of Applied Materials and Optoelectronic Engineering

Mission

All industries develop on the basis of materials technology, such as the metal industry, aerospace industry, machine industry, automobile industry, semi-conductor industry, communications industry, information industry, optoelectronics industry, biomedicine, and the recently attention-drawing nanotechnology. The two major industries in Taiwan, the semi-conductor and optoelectronics industry, play decisive roles in the world. Due to the efforts made in the semi-conductor and display technology, Taiwan has become the leading center for IC foundries and the production of display devices and systems. At present, materials technology, optoelectronic technology and nanotechnology are global trends of technology development and they are making great impacts on the future development of Taiwan’s industries and economy. Therefore, specialists from these fields are urgently needed. Our Department aims at cultivating optoelectronic engineers with a background in materials technology.

Features

Our faculty members have years of experience working in relevant industries or research institutes at foreign and domestic. The Department aims at two major fields: (1) organic materials, polymer materials and optoelectronic devices; (2) nanomaterials, semi-conductor materials and optoelectronic devices. Research interests of our faculty include organic/polymer LED, organic detectors, organic solar cells, organic thin-film transistors, liquid crystal materials and displays, nanowires, self-assembled materials, CNT-FED, quantum-dot devices, semi-conductor LEDs, materials for new IC manufacturing processes and compound semi-conductor optoelectronic devices, etc. Meanwhile, our students can take specialized elective courses from the Department of Electrical Engineering, the Department of Applied Chemistry and the Graduate Institute of Biomedicine and Biomedical Technology, as an inter-department collaboration. Such course arrangements offer greater learning flexibility for students to familiarize themselves with currently popular fields such as semi-conductors, information, optoelectronics, materials, biomedicine and nanotechnology. Our graduates may thus choose to work or pursue advanced education in these fields.

Curriculum

The Department attempts to cultivate specialists in optoelectronic engineering with a background in materials while encouraging students’ accomplishments in both technology and the humanities. Hence, our required courses, which are designed to offer basic training in materials, optoelectronic engineering and electronics, build up students’ fundamental knowledge of physics, chemistry, optoelectronics, electronics and materials. For students in the third year, elective courses will cover materials science and optoelectronics to help build up students’ knowledge in these fields. Furthermore, lab courses are available in electronic circuitry, optoelectronic engineering, materials and nanofabrication, etc. Special topics are offered in the second semester of the third year for students to take according to their interests, and this provides opportunities for students to put what they have learned into practice.

Completion of the Undergraduate studies requires 128 credits, including 12 credits in the school-wide curriculum, 19 credits of General Education courses, 51 credits of Departmental required courses and 34 credits of elective courses (including 15 credits of fundamental core courses) and 12 credits of school elective courses. Completion of the master’s program requires 25 credits, including 4 credits in Department required courses and 21 credits in elective courses.

IEET Accreditation

Both the bachelor’s and master’s degree programs are accredited by the Institute of Engineering Education Taiwan.

Vision

Nanotechnology is regarded in the United States as the fourth Industrial Revolution. Nanotechnology, biotechnology and information technology are viewed as “nationally crucial techniques”. Thus, while many countries strive to invest in and develop nanotechnology, Taiwan also regards nanotechnology as a strategic emphasis for the prospective economic development. The country is expected to develop and transform into a “Green Silicon Island”. Without a doubt, the need for nanotechnology specialists is going to increase in the future and the key to promotion of nanotechnology is nanomaterials. Optoelectronic-related applications, such as display/illumination, quantum dots and lasers devices, are expected to become important industries in Taiwan. Therefore, fostering professionals in this field is urgent. The Department regards nanotechnology as a platform to integrate nano-semiconductor materials and optoelectronic devices and cultivate specialists in nano-optoelectronic materials and devices.