Hsinchu – November 05, 2026 -- Macronix International Co., Ltd. (TSE: 2337) has become the first Taiwanese semiconductor company to receive an IEEE Milestone, awarded for its sNOVA industrial production optimization platform, which the company developed between its 1989 founding and 1997.
IEEE presents plaque to Macronix chairman at November 2 ceremony
Jill Gostin, 2026 IEEE president-elect, handed the recognition plaque to Dr. Miin Wu, Macronix chairman and CEO. Dr. Cheng-Wen Wu, minister of Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), attended the ceremony.
IEEE launched its Milestones program in 1983. An honored achievement must be at least 25 years old and have at least regional impact. More than 300 Milestones have been approved worldwide to date.
sNOVA shortened debugging time and underpinned the world's first paperless wafer fab
According to Macronix, sNOVA shortens production debugging time for abnormalities, reduces wafer-layer costs, improves product quality and automatically adjusts machine process parameters. The company says it pioneered the use of artificial intelligence and big data in semiconductor manufacturing.
Miin Wu said the system helped Macronix establish the world's first paperless semiconductor wafer fabrication facility. It also moved the company's product defect-rate measurement from parts per million to parts per billion.
The platform grew out of a hiring decision. After Miin Wu returned from Silicon Valley in 1989 with more than 40 senior engineers to found Macronix in Taiwan, the company employed statisticians at a wafer fab. It combined their expertise with semiconductor knowledge, aiming to compete with Japanese companies.
Other Taiwanese wafer makers adopted the system, spreading its influence
Miin Wu said other leading Taiwanese wafer manufacturers later adopted sNOVA. He said it improved chip yield and product quality, accelerated automation across the semiconductor supply chain and contributed to Taiwan's rise as a global manufacturing center.
Cheng-Wen Wu said Macronix was the first company worldwide to use statistical methods to improve manufacturing efficiency, reliability and yield. Some Macronix employees were recruited by other companies, and the system's influence gradually spread across the industry.
NSTC minister ties AI chip production in Taiwan to adoption opportunity
Cheng-Wen Wu said AI chips increasingly need to be manufactured in Taiwan, so the island will be among the first to understand their application areas and strengths. He said this gives Taiwanese industry a chance to lead in adopting advanced AI technologies and integrating them into manufacturing processes.
Macronix is now pursuing a role in medical-industry semiconductor applications, according to Miin Wu.