To enhance students' understanding of cutting-edge industry technologies and corporate needs, deepen industry-academia-research collaboration, and promote the integration of education and industry, theCollegeof Materials Scienceand Engineeringorganized a delegation of faculty and student representatives to visit Advanced Surface Technology (AST) Co., Ltd. in Shenzhen on May 23.

Founded in 2019, AST is a high-tech enterprise specializing in R&D,production, and sales of critical new materials for integrated circuits. Its R&D labs maintain cleanliness standards of Class 100, 1,000, and 10,000. The company focuses on developing chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) slurries for integrated circuits, wafer substrates, and ultra-precision machining, as well as other interfacial surface chemical products, providing global customers with high-performance polishing solutions. Its flagship semiconductor CMP slurries have filled multiple domestic technology gaps, with some products outperforming international counterparts, establishing AST as a leader in niche markets.

Xia Jianwen (AST Business Director and 2015 alumnus of the school) detailed the company's development journey, highlighting its technical strengths, including world-class CMP experts like Dr. Jia.Xia explained CMP mechanisms and slurry technology barriers, showcasing product series for wafer substrates and IC applications.

Dr. Jia, the company founder, shared his entrepreneurial journey, encouraging students to master foundational knowledge and apply it innovatively to solve real-world problems. Professor Yang Haipeng (Faculty Party Branch Secretary) introduced the school's disciplinary achievements and expressed hopes for future collaboration in talent development and research commercialization. Students actively engaged with AST staff on technical and career development topics, with some submitting resumes on-site.

The delegation toured product display areas and R&D labs, observing AST's employee culture initiatives (e.g., innovation competitions, team-building activities) that reflect its dual emphasis on "innovation and humanistic values."

The visit provided deep insights into AST's corporate culture and technological capabilities while laying a foundation for future partnerships in talent training and R&D. The school will continue strengthening industry ties to build a "talent-employment-industry service" collaboration model, contributing to materials science advancement in the Greater Bay Area.

Authors: Luo Jinting, Yang Haipeng

Reviewer: Li Xiaoping