Global competition in the semiconductor industry is fierce, making IC layout design capability an important indicator for talent cultivation. Himax Technologies, Inc. hosted the "2025 20th Himax Cup IC Layout Design Competition," with the finals held on 5/17 (Saturday). National Formosa University's Department of Electrical Engineering, led by Professor Lu Chi-Chang, Associate Professor Chen Hou-Ming, and Wang Kai-Ming, entered a student team that swept awards including "Special Excellence," "Excellence," "Honorable Mention," and "Certificate of Competition Completion." With the best overall performance nationwide, the team also claimed the highest honors of "Best Team Award" and "Best Advisor Award."
Himax Technologies is a leading IC design company focused on display driver and imaging processing technology, and has long placed emphasis on cultivating young talent's practical abilities in IC layout, design, and verification. Through this competition, the company provides a platform combining academic and practical experience, cultivating IC design talent with international competitiveness. This year's competition attracted 246 teams from across Taiwan. After a rigorous selection process through preliminary and semi-final rounds, only 48 teams and 73 students from 8 colleges and universities nationwide advanced to the finals.
The competition was held in two stages: preliminaries and finals. In the preliminary round, each team completed their own project design, with a panel of judges selecting teams to advance. In the finals, teams gathered at the competition venue, where the organizer provided computers and relevant technical documentation on-site. Finalist teams were required to complete their designs within a set time limit according to specified circuits and design requirements, passing multiple layout verification tests to complete the competition.
The "Special Excellence Award" in the Master's Category was won by NFU Department of Electrical Engineering student Chen Chien-Lin. He specially thanked his supervising professor, Chen Hou-Ming, for guiding him into the field of IC layout design and helping him understand the importance of this specialized technology and verification process to the IC industry. He also thanked his fellow students — seniors, classmates, and juniors alike — for their mutual support and shared learning throughout the practice process. Chen stated that even after winning first place, he still has much room for improvement, and expressed hope that this award will encourage more junior students to bravely take on challenges and push beyond their limits.
Chen Hou-Ming, Chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering and also the team's supervising instructor, stated that the participating students actively used their free time and holidays throughout the learning process of IC layout technology, repeatedly studying and practicing hands-on. Each student devoted more than 350 hours of effort and perseverance, demonstrating a high level of enthusiasm and professionalism for the technology. He congratulated the students who won awards in the competition, noting that they have already shown the potential and competitiveness needed to enter high-tech industries.
List of award winners from NFU's Department of Electrical Engineering:
|
Award-Winning Student |
Competition Category |
Award |
Supervising Instructor |
|
Chen Chien-Lin |
Master's Category |
Special Excellence (1st Place) |
Prof. Chen Hou-Ming |
|
Huang Chu-Yang |
Master's Category |
Excellence (2nd Place) |
Prof. Chen Hou-Ming |
|
Yu Hung-Yu |
Master's Category |
Honorable Mention |
Prof. Chen Hou-Ming |
|
Yang Chih-Chun |
Master's Category |
Honorable Mention |
Prof. Chen Hou-Ming |
|
Chien Wen-Yi |
Master's Category |
Competition Completion Award |
Prof. Lu Chi-Chang |
|
Liu Yao-Ying |
Master's Category |
Competition Completion Award |
Prof. Chen Hou-Ming |
|
Lin Yu-Chih |
Master's Category |
Competition Completion Award |
Prof. Chen Hou-Ming |
|
Wang Cheng-Chieh |
Undergraduate Category |
Excellence (2nd Place) |
Prof. Lu Chi-Chang |
|
Wang Chih-Hsun |
Undergraduate Category |
Honorable Mention |
Prof. Chen Hou-Ming |
|
Lee Po-Yi and Yu Sheng-Mao |
Undergraduate Category |
Honorable Mention |
Prof. Chen Hou-Ming |
|
Wu Tien-Hung, Hsiao Yi-Han |
Undergraduate Category |
Competition Completion Award |
Prof. Chen Hou-Ming |
|
Peng Yu-Jen, Ting Yung-Lin |
Undergraduate Category |
Competition Completion Award |
Prof. Chen Hou-Ming |
|
Best Advisor Award |
Prof. Chen Hou-Ming |
||
|
Best Team Award |
Department of Electrical Engineering, National Formosa University |
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Article and photos provided by: Department of Electrical Engineering
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| NFU's Department of Electrical Engineering award-winning team received a total of NT$120,000 in prize money | |
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| NFU's Department of Electrical Engineering team wins Best Team Award and Best Advisor Award | NFU Department of Electrical Engineering student Chen Chien-Lin (center) wins Special Excellence Award in the Master's Category, posing on stage with his supervising instructor Chen Hou-Ming (right) |