On October 29, 2025, the Department of Chemistry at Masaryk University’s Faculty of Science welcomed a delegation of prominent experts and students from Taiwan as part of an international cooperation project between Taiwanese and Czech universities (project leaders Prof. Sinn-wen Chen, Prof. Chih-Ming Chen and Doc. Pavel Brož). Professor Sinn-wen Chen, of the National Tsing Hua University, and Professor Chih-Ming Chen, of the National Chung Hsing University, are internationally renowned experts in the field of chemical engineering and materials research, with a particular focus on microelectronics and semiconductor technologies.
Professor Sinn-wen Chen, from the Department of Chemical Engineering, the College of Semiconductor Research and the High Entropy Materials Centre at the National Tsing Hua University, gave a lecture entitled “Understanding Interesting Phenomena at the Joints of Electronic Products: Thermodynamic and Kinetic Driving Forces”. In his presentation, the professor focused on the thermodynamic and kinetic driving forces of reactions and how these affect the behaviour of materials at electronic joints. He also discussed phenomena such as specific melting, different melting rates and whisker growth, which can be explained using phase diagrams and equilibrium states of materials.
Professor Sinn-wen Chen’s presentation was followed by that of Professor Chih-Ming Chen from the Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Hsing University. In his lecture, entitled “Old Electroplating Technology for New Joining Applications in Microelectronics”, Professor Chih-Ming Chen presented modern use of traditional electrochemical electroplating technology in the field of microelectronics. He showed how the method can be effectively applied for low-temperature soldering through the creation of Sn/Bi (selenium/bismuth) bi-layers or in direct connections using copper of different grain sizes, which allows for the creation of durable joints without the need of solder.
Following the professional part of the programme, the professors proceeded to a guided tour of Masaryk University’s Department of Chemistry. During the tour, they were introduced to the research facilities of the thermal analysis and Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry laboratory, the materials chemistry laboratory, the physical chemistry laboratory for teaching students and the analytical chemistry laboratories.
Professor Sinn-wen Chen
Professor Sinn-wen Chen is Chair Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering at the National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Taiwan and currently serves as President of the Materials Research Society-Taiwan. He received his PhD in materials science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States. Following a tenure at the Alcoa Technical Centre (USA), he joined NTHU in 1992, where he has been engaged in research on phase diagrams, solidification processes and interfacial reactions in thermoelectric materials and electronic solders.
Professor Sinn-wen Chen is the author or co-author of more than 250 scientific articles, holds 11 patents and has published over 140 popular science commentaries in the Taiwanese media. He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Electronic Materials, a Member of the editorial board of the Journal of Phase Equilibria and Diffusion and is the founder and lead organiser of two TMS (The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society) Annual Meeting symposia.
The professor has received numerous awards for his scientific work, including the TMS FMD Distinguished Scientist/Engineer Award and the Outstanding Research Award from the National Science and Technology Council of Taiwan. He is a member of the Asia Pacific Academy of Materials and a Fellow of ASM International, MRS-Taiwan and the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers.
Prof. Chih-Ming Chen
Professor Chih-Ming Chen received his Bachelor’s and Doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from the National Tsing Hua University in Hsinchu, Taiwan (1997, 2002). Since 2004, he has been employed at the Department of Chemical Engineering at the National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) in Taichung, where he was appointed Distinguished Professor in 2015.
Professor Chih-Ming Chen is the author or co-author of more than 170 articles in international scientific journals. He currently serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers and is a Member of the editorial board of the journal Metals and Coatings.
The professor’s current research focuses on surface chemistry and engineering, microelectronic applications, energy, and nanomaterials. Throughout his career, he has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Young Leader Professional Development Award (TMS, USA, 2007), the Research Excellence Award (NCHU, 2011), the Excellent Research Professor Award (LCY, 2012), the Outstanding Young Scholar Award Program (NCHU, 2013), the Professor Tsai-Teh Lai Award (TwIChE, 2019) and, most recently, the Professor Kao-Wen Mao Award (TwIChE, 2025).
On October 30, 2025, as part of a specialised seminar on physical and materials chemistry, students from the two Taiwanese universities presented contributions focused on the study of phase diagrams, interfacial reactions, electrocatalysis and methods for preventing corrosion in electronic connections using copper.
This visit by Taiwanese scientists resulted in the deepening of international cooperation between research institutions and provided an opportunity to meet with leading figures in the field of materials engineering and semiconductor technologies.
Photo: Lucia Legerská, Pavel Brož
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