Yi-kuang Chen - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Yi-kuang Chen

Research paper thumbnail of A Cubic Model for the Information Sharing in the Supply Chain Planning

Based on the practical industry experiences in the semiconductor industry, we developed a concise... more Based on the practical industry experiences in the semiconductor industry, we developed a concise cubic model for the supply chain planning (SCP) integration. The model not only includes vertical and horizontal partners, but also involves time phases planning integration. Since there are a lot of information that need to be exchanged for the planning integration, the information was designed to propagate through the information sharing rules. Meanwhile, the model is flexible. It could be elementary or extended based on the number of manufacturing stage in the supply chain. The high level object-oriented analysis and design was also presented in this article. The purpose is depicting the framework and showing the possibility of implementation.

Research paper thumbnail of Collaborative design of supply chain management key processes in the semiconductor industry

Proceedings of the 2012 IEEE 16th International Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design (CSCWD), 2012

ABSTRACT This study focuses on designing a comprehensive set of key processes for semiconductor m... more ABSTRACT This study focuses on designing a comprehensive set of key processes for semiconductor manufacturing supply chain and evaluating the relative importance of these key processes. The design and evaluation are performed by a multidisciplinary team consists of over twenty members from both academia and industry. This study adopts focus group methodology and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) for collaboration. The design and evaluation are based on experiences of these research team members who joined a successful supply chain management (SCM) project between the largest semiconductor foundry in the world and the world's largest semiconductor testing and packaging service provider. The result of the design is a hierarchy consists of 4 dimensions and 15 key processes. The resulting weighting from FAHP analysis indicates that both of the highest-ranking 1 dimension and the highest-ranking 4 factors account for approximately half of the overall weighting in their level. The designed key process hierarchy can serve as a checklist; helping SCM project managers avoids costly failure by ensuring that all key processes are well supported. The weightings provide SCM executives with a reference for the relative importance of these key processes and can also help them make critical decisions.

Research paper thumbnail of Collaborative design and analysis of supply chain network management key processes model

Journal of Network and Computer Applications, 2013

ABSTRACT This study focuses on collaboratively designing a structured and comprehensive supply ch... more ABSTRACT This study focuses on collaboratively designing a structured and comprehensive supply chain (SC) network management key processes model and analyzing the relative importance of these key processes for semiconductor industry. The collaborative design and analysis are performed by a multidisciplinary team consisting of over 20 members from both academia and industry. This research is based on experiences of these team members who joined a successful e-SCM project, used as a case study in this research, between the world's largest semiconductor foundry and the world's largest assembly and testing service provider. This study adopts focus group methodology for collaborative design and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) for collaborative analysis. The result of the design is a structured and comprehensive key processes model consisting of four dimensions: strategy and planning, manufacturing, logistics, and risk management (SMLR) with a total of 15 key processes included in these four dimensions. The resulting weightings from FAHP analysis can identify the most critical one dimension and four key processes since they account for approximately half of the overall weighting in their level. The SMLR model provides a structured and comprehensive reference model for future SC network management project executives, ensuring that all key processes are supported to avoid extremely costly failure. The resulting weightings provide these managers with the relative importance of these key processes and can help them make critical decisions in allocating limited resources to support the most critical processes. To confirm the results and further explore the managerial implications, a second session of focus group meeting was conducted and practices of the top three key processes in the semiconductor manufacturing industry were used to illustrate what actions can be performed to improve these processes and hence benefit the entire SC network. The research results can serve as a foundation for related academic researches.

Research paper thumbnail of A 98% cross-talk self-cancellation single-inductor dual-output DC-DC converter using bidirectional power prediction (BPP) control in 65nm CMOS

cross-talk self-cancellation is achieved by the bidirectional power prediction (BPP) control in t... more cross-talk self-cancellation is achieved by the bidirectional power prediction (BPP) control in the proposed single-inductor dual-output (SIDO) converter. The frequency-controlled resistor based on the switched-capacitor (SC) structure determines the energy correlation scheme between dual outputs. The embedded rough and fine energy trackers in the BPP controller guarantee accurate cross-talk cancellation according to both output voltages and currents. The fabricated chip

Research paper thumbnail of A high efficiency and compact size 65nm power management module with 1.2v low-voltage PWM controller for UWB system application

2009 Proceedings of ESSCIRC, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of A transceiver 10GBase-T in 90nm CMOS

2008 IEEE International Symposium on VLSI Design, Automation and Test (VLSI-DAT), 2008

People are always seeking for high data-rate and long-distance communication. And 10-GB Ethernet ... more People are always seeking for high data-rate and long-distance communication. And 10-GB Ethernet is regarded one of the possible solutions of the next generation. It's a new 10GbE PHY based on the existing MAC. The minimum and maximum frame size is the same as that of ...

Research paper thumbnail of Association Between Urologists' Caseload Volume and In-hospital Mortality for Transurethral Resection of Prostate: A Nationwide Population-based Study

Urology, 2008

To examine the relationship between the urologist case volume for transurethral resection of the ... more To examine the relationship between the urologist case volume for transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and in-hospital mortality using a Taiwan nationwide population-based data set. This study used data from the 2003 Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The sample of 9539 patients who had undergone TURP was divided into three urologist caseload volume groups: fewer than 27 cases annually (low volume), 27-55 cases annually (medium volume), and more than 55 cases annually (high volume). Multivariate logistic regression analysis using generalized estimating equations was conducted to assess the adjusted association of urologist TURP caseload volume and patient in-hospital mortality to account for the urologist, patient, and hospital characteristics and the clustered nature of the study sample. The in-hospital mortality rate decreased with an increasing TURP caseload volume. The in-hospital mortality rate was 2.37%, 1.97%, and 1.16% for patients treated in the low, medium, and high-volume urologist group, respectively. After adjusting for others factors, the likelihood of in-hospital mortality for patients treated by urologists with a low and medium TURP caseload volume was 1.835 (95% confidence interval 1.198-2.812, P < .01) and 1.606 (95% confidence interval 1.052-2.452, P < .05) respectively, compared with that for patients treated at high-volume hospitals. The results of our study have shown that, after adjusting for patient, urologist, and hospital characteristics, high-volume urologists are associated with superior treatment outcomes for patients undergoing TURP.

Research paper thumbnail of Increased Risk of Diabetes in Patients With Urinary Calculi: A 5-Year Followup Study

The Journal of Urology, 2011

No prospective followup study to date to our knowledge has evaluated the relationship between sto... more No prospective followup study to date to our knowledge has evaluated the relationship between stone disease and the subsequent risk of diabetes mellitus. In this population based study we examine the relationship between a history of urinary calculi and the risk of diabetes mellitus in Taiwan. A total of 23,569 adult patients with new diagnoses of urinary calculi from 2001 to 2003 were recruited together with 70,707 matched enrollees as a comparison cohort. All patients were tracked for a 5-year period from the index health care encounter to identify those who had a subsequent diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Cox proportional hazards models were used to compute the risk of diabetes mellitus for the study and comparison cohorts. Of a total of 94,276 patients 2,921 (12.39%) from the urinary calculi group and 6,171 (8.73%) from the comparison group received a subsequent diagnosis of diabetes mellitus during the followup period. The stratified Cox proportional analysis showed that, after censoring individuals who died during followup, and adjusting for patient monthly income, geographic location, urbanization level, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and obesity, the hazard of receiving a first diagnosis of diabetes during the 5-year followup was 1.32 times greater for patients with urinary calculi than for those in the comparison cohort (95% CI 1.26-1.39, p <0.001). Our results suggest that patients who receive a diagnosis of urinary calculi are at increased risk for diabetes mellitus at 5-year followup.

Research paper thumbnail of Seasonal Variations in Urinary Calculi Attacks and Their Association With Climate: a Population Based Study

The Journal of Urology, 2008

In this nationwide population based study we used 5-year data on urinary calculi patient visits t... more In this nationwide population based study we used 5-year data on urinary calculi patient visits to emergency departments in Taiwan to investigate the seasonal variation in urinary calculi attacks and the association with 5 climatic parameters. Comprehensive details on total admissions to emergency departments were obtained from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (1999 to 2003), providing monthly urinary calculi attack rates per 100,000 of the population. Subgroups of urinary calculi incidences were created based on gender and 3 age groups (18 to 44, 45 to 64 and 65 years old or older). Following adjustment for time trend effects, evaluation of the monthly urinary calculi attack rates and the effects of climatic factors was performed using auto-regressive integrated moving average regression methodology. The seasonal trends in the monthly urinary calculi attack rates revealed a peak in July to September, followed by a sharp decline in October, with the auto-regressive integrated moving average tests for seasonality demonstrating significance for each gender group, for each age group and for the whole sample (all p <0.001). Although significant associations were found between ambient temperature, atmospheric pressure and hours of sunshine vis-à-vis monthly urinary calculi attack rates for the total population, after adjustment for trends and seasonality, ambient temperature was found to be the sole major factor having any positive association with the monthly attack rates. We conclude that seasonal variations do exist in the monthly urinary calculi attack rates for all age and gender populations, and that following time series statistical adjustment, only ambient temperature had any consistent association with monthly attack rates.

Research paper thumbnail of Varicocele Is Associated with Erectile Dysfunction: A Population-Based Case-Control Study

The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2012

While many studies have been conducted investigating the efficacy of varicocele treatment on fert... more While many studies have been conducted investigating the efficacy of varicocele treatment on fertility, the literature is comparatively sparse concerning the association between varicocele, varicocelectomy, and erectile dysfunction (ED). This study aimed to estimate the associations between varicocele, varicocelectomy, and ED using a population-based dataset. This study used data from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 in Taiwan. A total of 32,856 cases and 98,568 randomly selected controls were included in this study. Conditional logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations between ED and having been previously diagnosed with varicocele or having underwent a varicocelectomy. The odds of prior varicocele or having underwent a varicocelectomy between cases and controls. Of the sampled patients, the prevalence of prior varicocele was 3.3% and 1.2% for cases and controls, respectively (P < 0.001). Conditional logistic regression analysis suggested that the odds ratio (OR) of being previously diagnosed with varicocele for cases was 3.09 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.67-3.49) when compared with controls after adjusting for monthly income, geographic location, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, hypogonadism, obesity, and alcohol abuse/alcohol dependence syndrome. Furthermore, cases were 1.92 (95% CI = 1.52-2.43) times more likely to have undergone a varicocelectomy than controls. Furthermore, subjects aged between 18 and 29 had the highest ORs for prior varicocele among cases when compared with controls (OR = 5.20; 95% CI = 3.27-8.28). This investigation succeeded in identifying an association between both varicocele and ED. We also realized that varicocele patients who underwent a varicocelectomy had lower magnitudes of association with ED than those who did not.

Research paper thumbnail of Increased Risk of Stroke among Men with Erectile Dysfunction: A Nationwide Population-based Study

The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2011

Previous cross-sectional studies have suggested that erectile dysfunction (ED) represents an inde... more Previous cross-sectional studies have suggested that erectile dysfunction (ED) represents an independent risk factor for future cardiovascular events. However, very few studies have attempted to examine the association between ED and subsequent stroke. The aim of this study is to estimate the risk of stroke during a 5-year follow-up period after the first ambulatory care visit for the treatment of ED using nationwide, population-based data and a retrospective case-control cohort design in Taiwan. This study used data sourced from the "Longitudinal Health Insurance Database." The study cohort comprised 1,501 patients who received a principal diagnosis of ED between 1997 and 2001 and 7,505 randomly selected subjects as the comparison cohort. Each patient (N = 9,006) was then individually tracked for 5 years from their index ambulatory care visit to identify those who had diagnosed episodes of stroke. Stratified Cox proportional hazard regressions were performed as a means of comparing the 5-year stroke-free survival rate for the two cohorts. Of the sampled patients, 918 (10.2%) developed stroke within the 5-year follow-up period, that is, 188 individuals (12.5% of the patients with ED) from the study cohort and 730 individuals (9.7% of patients in the comparison cohort) from the comparison cohort. The log-rank test indicated that patients with ED had significantly lower 5-year stroke-free survival rates than those in the comparison cohort (P < 0.001). After adjusting for the patient's monthly income, geographical location, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, atrial fibrillation, and hyperlipidemia, patients with ED were more likely to have a stroke during the 5-year follow-up period than patients in the comparison cohort (hazard ratio = 1.29, 95% confidence interval = 1.08 - 1.54, P < 0.01). These results suggest that ED is a surrogate marker for future stroke in men.

Research paper thumbnail of Population-Based Estimates of Medical Comorbidities in Erectile Dysfunction in a Taiwanese Population

The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2011

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is usually associated with systemic disorders. This population-based st... more Erectile dysfunction (ED) is usually associated with systemic disorders. This population-based study supports and expands on previous research. It also presents data in a Taiwanese male population where existing data on this topic remain sparse. The aim of this study is to analyze the prevalence and risk of 36 medical comorbidities in patients with ED compared with the general population. A total of 2,213 patients with ED and 11,065 matching controls were selected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Dataset. We chose 22 comorbidities from the Elixhauser comorbidity index, 10 highly prevalent medical conditions in an Asian population, and four male gender-specific comorbidities for analysis. Conditional logistic regression analyses conditioned on age group and monthly income were performed to investigate the risk of various comorbidities for patients with and without ED, after adjusting for the geographic region and level of urbanization of the patient's community. Patients with ED were at an increased risk for multiple systemic comorbidities. Conditional regression analyses showed that patients with ED were at a higher risk for hypertrophy of the prostate (odds ratio [OR] = 12.87), chronic prostatitis (OR = 9.36), alcohol abuse (OR = 3.60), drug abuse (OR = 2.62), urinary incontinence (OR = 2.58), ankylosing spondylitis (OR = 2.19), peripheral vascular disorder (OR = 1.98), ischemic heart disease (OR = 1.94), psychoses (OR = 1.97), depression (OR = 1.88), uncomplicated diabetes (OR = 1.91), complicated diabetes (OR = 1.84), hepatitis B or C (OR = 1.71), hyperlipidemia (OR = 1.69), and chronic pulmonary disease (OR = 1.55) than patients without ED. The results show that patients with ED have a higher prevalence of multiple noncardiovascular comorbidities than the general population in Taiwan.

Research paper thumbnail of Collaborative design and analysis of supply chain network management key processes model

Journal of Network and Computer Applications, 2013

ABSTRACT This study focuses on collaboratively designing a structured and comprehensive supply ch... more ABSTRACT This study focuses on collaboratively designing a structured and comprehensive supply chain (SC) network management key processes model and analyzing the relative importance of these key processes for semiconductor industry. The collaborative design and analysis are performed by a multidisciplinary team consisting of over 20 members from both academia and industry. This research is based on experiences of these team members who joined a successful e-SCM project, used as a case study in this research, between the world's largest semiconductor foundry and the world's largest assembly and testing service provider. This study adopts focus group methodology for collaborative design and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) for collaborative analysis. The result of the design is a structured and comprehensive key processes model consisting of four dimensions: strategy and planning, manufacturing, logistics, and risk management (SMLR) with a total of 15 key processes included in these four dimensions. The resulting weightings from FAHP analysis can identify the most critical one dimension and four key processes since they account for approximately half of the overall weighting in their level. The SMLR model provides a structured and comprehensive reference model for future SC network management project executives, ensuring that all key processes are supported to avoid extremely costly failure. The resulting weightings provide these managers with the relative importance of these key processes and can help them make critical decisions in allocating limited resources to support the most critical processes. To confirm the results and further explore the managerial implications, a second session of focus group meeting was conducted and practices of the top three key processes in the semiconductor manufacturing industry were used to illustrate what actions can be performed to improve these processes and hence benefit the entire SC network. The research results can serve as a foundation for related academic researches.

Research paper thumbnail of Association of bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis with urinary calculus: a nationwide population-based study

International Urogynecology Journal, 2013

Although one prior study reported an association between bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cysti... more Although one prior study reported an association between bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC) and urinary calculi (UC), no population-based study to date has been conducted to explore this relationship. Therefore, using a population-based data set in Taiwan, this study set out to investigate the association between BPS/IC and a prior diagnosis of UC. This study included 9,269 cases who had received their first-time diagnosis of BPS/IC between 2006 and 2007 and 46,345 randomly selected controls. We used conditional logistic regression analysis to compute the odds ratio (OR) and its corresponding 95 % confidence interval (CI) for having been previously diagnosed with UC between cases and controls. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of prior UC between cases and controls (8.1 vs 4.3 %, p < 0.001). Conditional logistic regression analysis revealed that cases were more likely to have been previously diagnosed with UC than controls (OR = 1.70; 95 % CI = 1.56-1.84) after adjusting for chronic pelvic pain, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, panic disorder, migraine, sicca syndrome, allergy, endometriosis, and asthma. BPS/IC was found to be significantly associated with prior UC regardless of stone location; the adjusted ORs of kidney calculus, ureter calculus, bladder calculus, and unspecified calculus when compared to controls were 1.58 (95 % CI = 1.38-1.81), 1.73 (95 % CI = 1.45-2.05), 3.80 (95 % CI = 2.18-6.62), and 1.83 (95 % CI = 1.59-2.11), respectively. This work generates the hypothesis that UC may be associated with BPS/IC.

Research paper thumbnail of Maternal gout associated with increased risk of low birth weight and preterm birth

International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 2010

Research paper thumbnail of Minimized Transient and Steady-State Cross Regulation in 55-nm CMOS Single-Inductor Dual-Output (SIDO) Step-Down DC-DC Converter

IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 2000

A single-inductor dual-output (SIDO) step-down DC-DC converter with continuous conduction mode (C... more A single-inductor dual-output (SIDO) step-down DC-DC converter with continuous conduction mode (CCM) operation is proposed to achieve an area-efficient power management module. The low-voltage energy distribution controller (LV-EDC) can simultaneously guarantee good voltage regulation and low output voltage ripple. With the proposed dual-mode energy delivery methodology, cross regulation in steady-state output voltage ripple, which is rarely discussed, and cross regulation in load transient response are both effectively reduced. In addition, the energy mode transition operation helps obtain the appropriate energy operation mode using the energy delivery paths for dual outputs. Moreover, within the allowable output voltage ripple, the automatic energy bypass (AEB) mechanism can reduce the number of energy delivery paths, thereby ensuring voltage regulation and further enhancing efficiency. The test chip, fabricated in 55-nm CMOS, occupies 1.44 mm and achieves 91% peak efficiency, low output voltage ripple, and excellent load transient response for a high-efficiency system-on-a-chip (SoC) integration.

Research paper thumbnail of Interleaving Energy-Conservation Mode (IECM) Control in Single-Inductor Dual-Output (SIDO) Step-Down Converters With 91% Peak Efficiency

IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 2000

Abstract This interleaving energy-conservation mode control for single-inductor dual-output conve... more Abstract This interleaving energy-conservation mode control for single-inductor dual-output converter uses the superposition technique to yield the optimal average inductor current and 91% peak efficiency. Neither a freewheel stage nor a post-regulator is needed at nominal ...

Research paper thumbnail of A DVS Embedded Power Management for High Efficiency Integrated SoC in UWB System

IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 2000

The proposed power management module with a typical 1.2 V low-voltage PWM (LV-PWM) controller and... more The proposed power management module with a typical 1.2 V low-voltage PWM (LV-PWM) controller and dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) function is designed using 65 nm technology for integration with the ultra-wide band (UWB) system. The on-chip pre-regulator with a power conditioning circuit can provide a regulated supply voltage to the LV-controller. Moreover, the proposed handover technique can achieve the self-biasing mechanism to further reduce power dissipation. To operate in low voltage, the proposed compensation enhancement multistage amplifier (CEMA) can achieve high loop gain and ensure system stability without using any external compensation component. The fabricated power management module occupies 0.356 mm 2 silicon area with an excellent line/load transient response. Owing to the DVS function, the proposed power management can meet the power requirement in the UWB system and other RF transceiver systems.

Research paper thumbnail of No increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with urinary tract infections: a nationwide population-based study

Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 2010

Objective. To examine the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes (low birthweight (LBW), preterm birt... more Objective. To examine the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes (low birthweight (LBW), preterm birth, and small-for-gestational age (SGA)) in pregnant women with urinary tract infections (UTIs) using a 3-year nationwide population-based database, simultaneously taking characteristics of infant and mother into consideration. Design. Retrospective cross-sectional study. Setting. Taiwan. Sample. In total, 42,742 mothers with UTIs and 42,742 randomly selected mothers were included. Methods. Conditional logistic regression analyses to investigate the risk of LBW, preterm birth, and SGA, comparing these two cohorts. Main outcome measures. LBW, preterm birth, and SGA. Results. Pearson c 2 tests show that there were significant differences in the prevalence of preterm births (<37 weeks) (7.2%, 7.7 vs. 8.3%, p = 0.006) and SGA infants (<10th percentile) (16.1%, 16.5 vs. 18.9%, p = 0.003) among pregnant women who were not exposed to UTIs, those exposed to antepartum non-pyelonephritic UTIs and those exposed to pyelonephritis. However, after adjusting for potential confounding factors, the odd ratios (ORs) for LBW were not statistically significant for mothers exposed to antepartum nonpyelonephritic UTIs, compared to women who were not diagnosed with UTIs; neither for <34 or <37 weeks nor SGA <10th percentile and <2 SDs. Similarly, compared to women who were not exposed to UTIs, the adjusted ORs for LBW, <34 weeks, <37 weeks, SGA <10th centile, and <2 SD did not reach a significant level for mothers exposed to pyelonephritis. Conclusions. Women exposed to antepartum pyelonephritis or non-pyelonephritic UTIs were not at increased risk of having LBW, preterm, and SGA babies, compared to mothers who did not experience UTIs.

Research paper thumbnail of Collaborative design of supply chain management key processes in the semiconductor industry

Proceedings of the 2012 IEEE 16th International Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design (CSCWD), 2012

ABSTRACT This study focuses on designing a comprehensive set of key processes for semiconductor m... more ABSTRACT This study focuses on designing a comprehensive set of key processes for semiconductor manufacturing supply chain and evaluating the relative importance of these key processes. The design and evaluation are performed by a multidisciplinary team consists of over twenty members from both academia and industry. This study adopts focus group methodology and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) for collaboration. The design and evaluation are based on experiences of these research team members who joined a successful supply chain management (SCM) project between the largest semiconductor foundry in the world and the world&#39;s largest semiconductor testing and packaging service provider. The result of the design is a hierarchy consists of 4 dimensions and 15 key processes. The resulting weighting from FAHP analysis indicates that both of the highest-ranking 1 dimension and the highest-ranking 4 factors account for approximately half of the overall weighting in their level. The designed key process hierarchy can serve as a checklist; helping SCM project managers avoids costly failure by ensuring that all key processes are well supported. The weightings provide SCM executives with a reference for the relative importance of these key processes and can also help them make critical decisions.

Research paper thumbnail of A Cubic Model for the Information Sharing in the Supply Chain Planning

Based on the practical industry experiences in the semiconductor industry, we developed a concise... more Based on the practical industry experiences in the semiconductor industry, we developed a concise cubic model for the supply chain planning (SCP) integration. The model not only includes vertical and horizontal partners, but also involves time phases planning integration. Since there are a lot of information that need to be exchanged for the planning integration, the information was designed to propagate through the information sharing rules. Meanwhile, the model is flexible. It could be elementary or extended based on the number of manufacturing stage in the supply chain. The high level object-oriented analysis and design was also presented in this article. The purpose is depicting the framework and showing the possibility of implementation.

Research paper thumbnail of Collaborative design of supply chain management key processes in the semiconductor industry

Proceedings of the 2012 IEEE 16th International Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design (CSCWD), 2012

ABSTRACT This study focuses on designing a comprehensive set of key processes for semiconductor m... more ABSTRACT This study focuses on designing a comprehensive set of key processes for semiconductor manufacturing supply chain and evaluating the relative importance of these key processes. The design and evaluation are performed by a multidisciplinary team consists of over twenty members from both academia and industry. This study adopts focus group methodology and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) for collaboration. The design and evaluation are based on experiences of these research team members who joined a successful supply chain management (SCM) project between the largest semiconductor foundry in the world and the world&#39;s largest semiconductor testing and packaging service provider. The result of the design is a hierarchy consists of 4 dimensions and 15 key processes. The resulting weighting from FAHP analysis indicates that both of the highest-ranking 1 dimension and the highest-ranking 4 factors account for approximately half of the overall weighting in their level. The designed key process hierarchy can serve as a checklist; helping SCM project managers avoids costly failure by ensuring that all key processes are well supported. The weightings provide SCM executives with a reference for the relative importance of these key processes and can also help them make critical decisions.

Research paper thumbnail of Collaborative design and analysis of supply chain network management key processes model

Journal of Network and Computer Applications, 2013

ABSTRACT This study focuses on collaboratively designing a structured and comprehensive supply ch... more ABSTRACT This study focuses on collaboratively designing a structured and comprehensive supply chain (SC) network management key processes model and analyzing the relative importance of these key processes for semiconductor industry. The collaborative design and analysis are performed by a multidisciplinary team consisting of over 20 members from both academia and industry. This research is based on experiences of these team members who joined a successful e-SCM project, used as a case study in this research, between the world&#39;s largest semiconductor foundry and the world&#39;s largest assembly and testing service provider. This study adopts focus group methodology for collaborative design and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) for collaborative analysis. The result of the design is a structured and comprehensive key processes model consisting of four dimensions: strategy and planning, manufacturing, logistics, and risk management (SMLR) with a total of 15 key processes included in these four dimensions. The resulting weightings from FAHP analysis can identify the most critical one dimension and four key processes since they account for approximately half of the overall weighting in their level. The SMLR model provides a structured and comprehensive reference model for future SC network management project executives, ensuring that all key processes are supported to avoid extremely costly failure. The resulting weightings provide these managers with the relative importance of these key processes and can help them make critical decisions in allocating limited resources to support the most critical processes. To confirm the results and further explore the managerial implications, a second session of focus group meeting was conducted and practices of the top three key processes in the semiconductor manufacturing industry were used to illustrate what actions can be performed to improve these processes and hence benefit the entire SC network. The research results can serve as a foundation for related academic researches.

Research paper thumbnail of A 98% cross-talk self-cancellation single-inductor dual-output DC-DC converter using bidirectional power prediction (BPP) control in 65nm CMOS

cross-talk self-cancellation is achieved by the bidirectional power prediction (BPP) control in t... more cross-talk self-cancellation is achieved by the bidirectional power prediction (BPP) control in the proposed single-inductor dual-output (SIDO) converter. The frequency-controlled resistor based on the switched-capacitor (SC) structure determines the energy correlation scheme between dual outputs. The embedded rough and fine energy trackers in the BPP controller guarantee accurate cross-talk cancellation according to both output voltages and currents. The fabricated chip

Research paper thumbnail of A high efficiency and compact size 65nm power management module with 1.2v low-voltage PWM controller for UWB system application

2009 Proceedings of ESSCIRC, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of A transceiver 10GBase-T in 90nm CMOS

2008 IEEE International Symposium on VLSI Design, Automation and Test (VLSI-DAT), 2008

People are always seeking for high data-rate and long-distance communication. And 10-GB Ethernet ... more People are always seeking for high data-rate and long-distance communication. And 10-GB Ethernet is regarded one of the possible solutions of the next generation. It's a new 10GbE PHY based on the existing MAC. The minimum and maximum frame size is the same as that of ...

Research paper thumbnail of Association Between Urologists' Caseload Volume and In-hospital Mortality for Transurethral Resection of Prostate: A Nationwide Population-based Study

Urology, 2008

To examine the relationship between the urologist case volume for transurethral resection of the ... more To examine the relationship between the urologist case volume for transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and in-hospital mortality using a Taiwan nationwide population-based data set. This study used data from the 2003 Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The sample of 9539 patients who had undergone TURP was divided into three urologist caseload volume groups: fewer than 27 cases annually (low volume), 27-55 cases annually (medium volume), and more than 55 cases annually (high volume). Multivariate logistic regression analysis using generalized estimating equations was conducted to assess the adjusted association of urologist TURP caseload volume and patient in-hospital mortality to account for the urologist, patient, and hospital characteristics and the clustered nature of the study sample. The in-hospital mortality rate decreased with an increasing TURP caseload volume. The in-hospital mortality rate was 2.37%, 1.97%, and 1.16% for patients treated in the low, medium, and high-volume urologist group, respectively. After adjusting for others factors, the likelihood of in-hospital mortality for patients treated by urologists with a low and medium TURP caseload volume was 1.835 (95% confidence interval 1.198-2.812, P &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; .01) and 1.606 (95% confidence interval 1.052-2.452, P &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; .05) respectively, compared with that for patients treated at high-volume hospitals. The results of our study have shown that, after adjusting for patient, urologist, and hospital characteristics, high-volume urologists are associated with superior treatment outcomes for patients undergoing TURP.

Research paper thumbnail of Increased Risk of Diabetes in Patients With Urinary Calculi: A 5-Year Followup Study

The Journal of Urology, 2011

No prospective followup study to date to our knowledge has evaluated the relationship between sto... more No prospective followup study to date to our knowledge has evaluated the relationship between stone disease and the subsequent risk of diabetes mellitus. In this population based study we examine the relationship between a history of urinary calculi and the risk of diabetes mellitus in Taiwan. A total of 23,569 adult patients with new diagnoses of urinary calculi from 2001 to 2003 were recruited together with 70,707 matched enrollees as a comparison cohort. All patients were tracked for a 5-year period from the index health care encounter to identify those who had a subsequent diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Cox proportional hazards models were used to compute the risk of diabetes mellitus for the study and comparison cohorts. Of a total of 94,276 patients 2,921 (12.39%) from the urinary calculi group and 6,171 (8.73%) from the comparison group received a subsequent diagnosis of diabetes mellitus during the followup period. The stratified Cox proportional analysis showed that, after censoring individuals who died during followup, and adjusting for patient monthly income, geographic location, urbanization level, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and obesity, the hazard of receiving a first diagnosis of diabetes during the 5-year followup was 1.32 times greater for patients with urinary calculi than for those in the comparison cohort (95% CI 1.26-1.39, p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.001). Our results suggest that patients who receive a diagnosis of urinary calculi are at increased risk for diabetes mellitus at 5-year followup.

Research paper thumbnail of Seasonal Variations in Urinary Calculi Attacks and Their Association With Climate: a Population Based Study

The Journal of Urology, 2008

In this nationwide population based study we used 5-year data on urinary calculi patient visits t... more In this nationwide population based study we used 5-year data on urinary calculi patient visits to emergency departments in Taiwan to investigate the seasonal variation in urinary calculi attacks and the association with 5 climatic parameters. Comprehensive details on total admissions to emergency departments were obtained from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (1999 to 2003), providing monthly urinary calculi attack rates per 100,000 of the population. Subgroups of urinary calculi incidences were created based on gender and 3 age groups (18 to 44, 45 to 64 and 65 years old or older). Following adjustment for time trend effects, evaluation of the monthly urinary calculi attack rates and the effects of climatic factors was performed using auto-regressive integrated moving average regression methodology. The seasonal trends in the monthly urinary calculi attack rates revealed a peak in July to September, followed by a sharp decline in October, with the auto-regressive integrated moving average tests for seasonality demonstrating significance for each gender group, for each age group and for the whole sample (all p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.001). Although significant associations were found between ambient temperature, atmospheric pressure and hours of sunshine vis-à-vis monthly urinary calculi attack rates for the total population, after adjustment for trends and seasonality, ambient temperature was found to be the sole major factor having any positive association with the monthly attack rates. We conclude that seasonal variations do exist in the monthly urinary calculi attack rates for all age and gender populations, and that following time series statistical adjustment, only ambient temperature had any consistent association with monthly attack rates.

Research paper thumbnail of Varicocele Is Associated with Erectile Dysfunction: A Population-Based Case-Control Study

The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2012

While many studies have been conducted investigating the efficacy of varicocele treatment on fert... more While many studies have been conducted investigating the efficacy of varicocele treatment on fertility, the literature is comparatively sparse concerning the association between varicocele, varicocelectomy, and erectile dysfunction (ED). This study aimed to estimate the associations between varicocele, varicocelectomy, and ED using a population-based dataset. This study used data from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 in Taiwan. A total of 32,856 cases and 98,568 randomly selected controls were included in this study. Conditional logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations between ED and having been previously diagnosed with varicocele or having underwent a varicocelectomy. The odds of prior varicocele or having underwent a varicocelectomy between cases and controls. Of the sampled patients, the prevalence of prior varicocele was 3.3% and 1.2% for cases and controls, respectively (P &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001). Conditional logistic regression analysis suggested that the odds ratio (OR) of being previously diagnosed with varicocele for cases was 3.09 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.67-3.49) when compared with controls after adjusting for monthly income, geographic location, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, hypogonadism, obesity, and alcohol abuse/alcohol dependence syndrome. Furthermore, cases were 1.92 (95% CI = 1.52-2.43) times more likely to have undergone a varicocelectomy than controls. Furthermore, subjects aged between 18 and 29 had the highest ORs for prior varicocele among cases when compared with controls (OR = 5.20; 95% CI = 3.27-8.28). This investigation succeeded in identifying an association between both varicocele and ED. We also realized that varicocele patients who underwent a varicocelectomy had lower magnitudes of association with ED than those who did not.

Research paper thumbnail of Increased Risk of Stroke among Men with Erectile Dysfunction: A Nationwide Population-based Study

The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2011

Previous cross-sectional studies have suggested that erectile dysfunction (ED) represents an inde... more Previous cross-sectional studies have suggested that erectile dysfunction (ED) represents an independent risk factor for future cardiovascular events. However, very few studies have attempted to examine the association between ED and subsequent stroke. The aim of this study is to estimate the risk of stroke during a 5-year follow-up period after the first ambulatory care visit for the treatment of ED using nationwide, population-based data and a retrospective case-control cohort design in Taiwan. This study used data sourced from the &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;Longitudinal Health Insurance Database.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; The study cohort comprised 1,501 patients who received a principal diagnosis of ED between 1997 and 2001 and 7,505 randomly selected subjects as the comparison cohort. Each patient (N = 9,006) was then individually tracked for 5 years from their index ambulatory care visit to identify those who had diagnosed episodes of stroke. Stratified Cox proportional hazard regressions were performed as a means of comparing the 5-year stroke-free survival rate for the two cohorts. Of the sampled patients, 918 (10.2%) developed stroke within the 5-year follow-up period, that is, 188 individuals (12.5% of the patients with ED) from the study cohort and 730 individuals (9.7% of patients in the comparison cohort) from the comparison cohort. The log-rank test indicated that patients with ED had significantly lower 5-year stroke-free survival rates than those in the comparison cohort (P &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001). After adjusting for the patient&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s monthly income, geographical location, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, atrial fibrillation, and hyperlipidemia, patients with ED were more likely to have a stroke during the 5-year follow-up period than patients in the comparison cohort (hazard ratio = 1.29, 95% confidence interval = 1.08 - 1.54, P &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.01). These results suggest that ED is a surrogate marker for future stroke in men.

Research paper thumbnail of Population-Based Estimates of Medical Comorbidities in Erectile Dysfunction in a Taiwanese Population

The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2011

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is usually associated with systemic disorders. This population-based st... more Erectile dysfunction (ED) is usually associated with systemic disorders. This population-based study supports and expands on previous research. It also presents data in a Taiwanese male population where existing data on this topic remain sparse. The aim of this study is to analyze the prevalence and risk of 36 medical comorbidities in patients with ED compared with the general population. A total of 2,213 patients with ED and 11,065 matching controls were selected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Dataset. We chose 22 comorbidities from the Elixhauser comorbidity index, 10 highly prevalent medical conditions in an Asian population, and four male gender-specific comorbidities for analysis. Conditional logistic regression analyses conditioned on age group and monthly income were performed to investigate the risk of various comorbidities for patients with and without ED, after adjusting for the geographic region and level of urbanization of the patient&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s community. Patients with ED were at an increased risk for multiple systemic comorbidities. Conditional regression analyses showed that patients with ED were at a higher risk for hypertrophy of the prostate (odds ratio [OR] = 12.87), chronic prostatitis (OR = 9.36), alcohol abuse (OR = 3.60), drug abuse (OR = 2.62), urinary incontinence (OR = 2.58), ankylosing spondylitis (OR = 2.19), peripheral vascular disorder (OR = 1.98), ischemic heart disease (OR = 1.94), psychoses (OR = 1.97), depression (OR = 1.88), uncomplicated diabetes (OR = 1.91), complicated diabetes (OR = 1.84), hepatitis B or C (OR = 1.71), hyperlipidemia (OR = 1.69), and chronic pulmonary disease (OR = 1.55) than patients without ED. The results show that patients with ED have a higher prevalence of multiple noncardiovascular comorbidities than the general population in Taiwan.

Research paper thumbnail of Collaborative design and analysis of supply chain network management key processes model

Journal of Network and Computer Applications, 2013

ABSTRACT This study focuses on collaboratively designing a structured and comprehensive supply ch... more ABSTRACT This study focuses on collaboratively designing a structured and comprehensive supply chain (SC) network management key processes model and analyzing the relative importance of these key processes for semiconductor industry. The collaborative design and analysis are performed by a multidisciplinary team consisting of over 20 members from both academia and industry. This research is based on experiences of these team members who joined a successful e-SCM project, used as a case study in this research, between the world&#39;s largest semiconductor foundry and the world&#39;s largest assembly and testing service provider. This study adopts focus group methodology for collaborative design and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) for collaborative analysis. The result of the design is a structured and comprehensive key processes model consisting of four dimensions: strategy and planning, manufacturing, logistics, and risk management (SMLR) with a total of 15 key processes included in these four dimensions. The resulting weightings from FAHP analysis can identify the most critical one dimension and four key processes since they account for approximately half of the overall weighting in their level. The SMLR model provides a structured and comprehensive reference model for future SC network management project executives, ensuring that all key processes are supported to avoid extremely costly failure. The resulting weightings provide these managers with the relative importance of these key processes and can help them make critical decisions in allocating limited resources to support the most critical processes. To confirm the results and further explore the managerial implications, a second session of focus group meeting was conducted and practices of the top three key processes in the semiconductor manufacturing industry were used to illustrate what actions can be performed to improve these processes and hence benefit the entire SC network. The research results can serve as a foundation for related academic researches.

Research paper thumbnail of Association of bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis with urinary calculus: a nationwide population-based study

International Urogynecology Journal, 2013

Although one prior study reported an association between bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cysti... more Although one prior study reported an association between bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC) and urinary calculi (UC), no population-based study to date has been conducted to explore this relationship. Therefore, using a population-based data set in Taiwan, this study set out to investigate the association between BPS/IC and a prior diagnosis of UC. This study included 9,269 cases who had received their first-time diagnosis of BPS/IC between 2006 and 2007 and 46,345 randomly selected controls. We used conditional logistic regression analysis to compute the odds ratio (OR) and its corresponding 95 % confidence interval (CI) for having been previously diagnosed with UC between cases and controls. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of prior UC between cases and controls (8.1 vs 4.3 %, p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001). Conditional logistic regression analysis revealed that cases were more likely to have been previously diagnosed with UC than controls (OR = 1.70; 95 % CI = 1.56-1.84) after adjusting for chronic pelvic pain, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, panic disorder, migraine, sicca syndrome, allergy, endometriosis, and asthma. BPS/IC was found to be significantly associated with prior UC regardless of stone location; the adjusted ORs of kidney calculus, ureter calculus, bladder calculus, and unspecified calculus when compared to controls were 1.58 (95 % CI = 1.38-1.81), 1.73 (95 % CI = 1.45-2.05), 3.80 (95 % CI = 2.18-6.62), and 1.83 (95 % CI = 1.59-2.11), respectively. This work generates the hypothesis that UC may be associated with BPS/IC.

Research paper thumbnail of Maternal gout associated with increased risk of low birth weight and preterm birth

International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 2010

Research paper thumbnail of Minimized Transient and Steady-State Cross Regulation in 55-nm CMOS Single-Inductor Dual-Output (SIDO) Step-Down DC-DC Converter

IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 2000

A single-inductor dual-output (SIDO) step-down DC-DC converter with continuous conduction mode (C... more A single-inductor dual-output (SIDO) step-down DC-DC converter with continuous conduction mode (CCM) operation is proposed to achieve an area-efficient power management module. The low-voltage energy distribution controller (LV-EDC) can simultaneously guarantee good voltage regulation and low output voltage ripple. With the proposed dual-mode energy delivery methodology, cross regulation in steady-state output voltage ripple, which is rarely discussed, and cross regulation in load transient response are both effectively reduced. In addition, the energy mode transition operation helps obtain the appropriate energy operation mode using the energy delivery paths for dual outputs. Moreover, within the allowable output voltage ripple, the automatic energy bypass (AEB) mechanism can reduce the number of energy delivery paths, thereby ensuring voltage regulation and further enhancing efficiency. The test chip, fabricated in 55-nm CMOS, occupies 1.44 mm and achieves 91% peak efficiency, low output voltage ripple, and excellent load transient response for a high-efficiency system-on-a-chip (SoC) integration.

Research paper thumbnail of Interleaving Energy-Conservation Mode (IECM) Control in Single-Inductor Dual-Output (SIDO) Step-Down Converters With 91% Peak Efficiency

IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 2000

Abstract This interleaving energy-conservation mode control for single-inductor dual-output conve... more Abstract This interleaving energy-conservation mode control for single-inductor dual-output converter uses the superposition technique to yield the optimal average inductor current and 91% peak efficiency. Neither a freewheel stage nor a post-regulator is needed at nominal ...

Research paper thumbnail of A DVS Embedded Power Management for High Efficiency Integrated SoC in UWB System

IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 2000

The proposed power management module with a typical 1.2 V low-voltage PWM (LV-PWM) controller and... more The proposed power management module with a typical 1.2 V low-voltage PWM (LV-PWM) controller and dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) function is designed using 65 nm technology for integration with the ultra-wide band (UWB) system. The on-chip pre-regulator with a power conditioning circuit can provide a regulated supply voltage to the LV-controller. Moreover, the proposed handover technique can achieve the self-biasing mechanism to further reduce power dissipation. To operate in low voltage, the proposed compensation enhancement multistage amplifier (CEMA) can achieve high loop gain and ensure system stability without using any external compensation component. The fabricated power management module occupies 0.356 mm 2 silicon area with an excellent line/load transient response. Owing to the DVS function, the proposed power management can meet the power requirement in the UWB system and other RF transceiver systems.

Research paper thumbnail of No increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with urinary tract infections: a nationwide population-based study

Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 2010

Objective. To examine the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes (low birthweight (LBW), preterm birt... more Objective. To examine the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes (low birthweight (LBW), preterm birth, and small-for-gestational age (SGA)) in pregnant women with urinary tract infections (UTIs) using a 3-year nationwide population-based database, simultaneously taking characteristics of infant and mother into consideration. Design. Retrospective cross-sectional study. Setting. Taiwan. Sample. In total, 42,742 mothers with UTIs and 42,742 randomly selected mothers were included. Methods. Conditional logistic regression analyses to investigate the risk of LBW, preterm birth, and SGA, comparing these two cohorts. Main outcome measures. LBW, preterm birth, and SGA. Results. Pearson c 2 tests show that there were significant differences in the prevalence of preterm births (<37 weeks) (7.2%, 7.7 vs. 8.3%, p = 0.006) and SGA infants (<10th percentile) (16.1%, 16.5 vs. 18.9%, p = 0.003) among pregnant women who were not exposed to UTIs, those exposed to antepartum non-pyelonephritic UTIs and those exposed to pyelonephritis. However, after adjusting for potential confounding factors, the odd ratios (ORs) for LBW were not statistically significant for mothers exposed to antepartum nonpyelonephritic UTIs, compared to women who were not diagnosed with UTIs; neither for <34 or <37 weeks nor SGA <10th percentile and <2 SDs. Similarly, compared to women who were not exposed to UTIs, the adjusted ORs for LBW, <34 weeks, <37 weeks, SGA <10th centile, and <2 SD did not reach a significant level for mothers exposed to pyelonephritis. Conclusions. Women exposed to antepartum pyelonephritis or non-pyelonephritic UTIs were not at increased risk of having LBW, preterm, and SGA babies, compared to mothers who did not experience UTIs.

Research paper thumbnail of Collaborative design of supply chain management key processes in the semiconductor industry

Proceedings of the 2012 IEEE 16th International Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design (CSCWD), 2012

ABSTRACT This study focuses on designing a comprehensive set of key processes for semiconductor m... more ABSTRACT This study focuses on designing a comprehensive set of key processes for semiconductor manufacturing supply chain and evaluating the relative importance of these key processes. The design and evaluation are performed by a multidisciplinary team consists of over twenty members from both academia and industry. This study adopts focus group methodology and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) for collaboration. The design and evaluation are based on experiences of these research team members who joined a successful supply chain management (SCM) project between the largest semiconductor foundry in the world and the world&#39;s largest semiconductor testing and packaging service provider. The result of the design is a hierarchy consists of 4 dimensions and 15 key processes. The resulting weighting from FAHP analysis indicates that both of the highest-ranking 1 dimension and the highest-ranking 4 factors account for approximately half of the overall weighting in their level. The designed key process hierarchy can serve as a checklist; helping SCM project managers avoids costly failure by ensuring that all key processes are well supported. The weightings provide SCM executives with a reference for the relative importance of these key processes and can also help them make critical decisions.