Ming Chi University of Technology

The Organic Electronics Research Center

Shun-Wei Liu
https://electronics.mcut.edu.tw

Research Field

Optoelectronic Engineering

Introduction

Professor Shun-Wei Liu holds the prestigious title of Distinguished Professor in the Department of Electronic Engineering at Ming Chi University of Technology (MCUT) in Taiwan. Additionally, he serves as the Director of the Organic Electronics Research Center at MCUT and has excelled as the Vice Dean of the College of Engineering. His scholarly pursuits primarily revolve around unraveling the fundamental physics of organic and perovskite materials and exploring their application in cutting-edge optoelectronic devices. These devices include SWIR/NIR organic imagers, transparent photovoltaics, medical OLED lighting, perovskite PD/PV, ultra-thin flexible electronics, and more. Most importantly, their new concept of organic imagers has high potential to enhance human vision by detecting unseen light, earning it a feature in the RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT section of the globally renowned journal, NATURE. Professor Liu's outstanding research contributions firmly establish him as a world-class scholar in the field of organic electronics.

In 2017, Professor Liu successfully secured a substantial research grant of $2,500,000 USD from the Formosa Plastics Group in Taiwan. This funding was pivotal in establishing a cutting-edge global research platform for organic electronics. Over the years, Professor Liu's research team has also licensed their proprietary display and sensing technologies, along with their unique methodologies, to several corporate entities. These fruitful partnerships have resulted in cumulative royalties and industrial project fees of $1,600,000 USD. Beyond his practical research endeavors, Professor Liu boasts an impressive academic track record. He has obtained over 9 patents and published over 200 SCI papers. His work has garnered a remarkable 4,600 citations and holds a commendable H-index of 30. Professor Liu's exceptional academic performance has been recognized through numerous prestigious awards in Taiwan, including the "Ta-Yao Wu Memorial Award," the "Award for Excellent Contribution in Technology Transfer," and the "Outstanding Young Researcher Award" in 2018. In 2023, his upconversion electronics were also selected for the "Future Technology Award" at the Taiwan Innotech Expo. 

The establishment of the Organic Electronics Center in January 2015, with the support of the chairman and under the leadership of Professor Liu Shun-Wei from the Department of Electronics, has proven to be a significant step towards enhancing research and development (R&D) and industry-academia collaboration capabilities. Over the years, the center has received 80 million NTD in R&D funds, and this achievement can be attributed to the significant role played by the chairman. Since its inception, the Organic Electronics Center has not only excelled in academic research and publication records but has also made notable strides in practical research and development, gaining recognition from both academia and industry. In 2018, Director Liu Shun-Wei's exceptional contributions were acknowledged when he received the Outstanding Technology Transfer Contribution Award from the Ministry of Science and Technology. Moreover, Professor Liu's receipt of the Wu Ta-You Memorial Award in the same year is a remarkable accomplishment. Director Liu's achievement as a professor from a private university highlights his exceptional capabilities and marks a rare occurrence within the past decade.  It underscores his dedication to both industry-academia collaboration and fundamental research, further enhancing the reputation of the Organic Electronics Center. Furthermore, the research team of the center, consisting of nine members, has made significant contributions to the field. They have published over 45 journal papers and successfully completed 18 projects funded by prestigious organizations such as the Ministry of Science and Technology, private industry, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The total funding received for these projects amounts to nearly 18 million NTD, with an additional 2 million NTD generated through technology transfers. Furthermore, the research achievements of the center have garnered international recognition, particularly in the Asian region. This recognition has resulted in frequent invitations for Professor Liu Shun-Wei to speak at academic exchange events in the Asia-Pacific region. Through these engagements, international scholars have gradually become familiar with the research potential of our university's Organic Electronics Research Center and have expressed their willingness to pursue cross-border collaborations.

Since its establishment, the center has actively fostered collaborations and exchanges with several renowned international institutions. These include the University of Hong Kong, North Carolina State University in the United States, Banaras Hindu University, IIT Kharagpur and the Indian Institute of Science in India, Shimane University in Japan, as well as the South China University of Technology, and Soochow University in Mainland China.

The research field of the Organic Electronics Center encompass materials chemistry, polymer semiconductor materials, electrical power and machinery, electronic circuits, spectroscopic analysis, biomedical sensing, nanotechnology, and organic optoelectronic semiconductor processing. By leveraging the unique expertise held by each professor, the center strives to harness this collaborative platform to deliver solutions for both domestic and international companies. Be it the development of vacuum equipment, validation of organic materials, or the implementation of Raman spectroscopy identification, the center can swiftly establish suitable channels to support industry-academia projects. The successful integration of this multidisciplinary team stands as a rare and remarkable achievement within Taiwan.

Currently, the center focuses on three major research topics for applied development: weak light power generation, wearable device applications, and medical light sources. These research areas are supported by the center's core facilities, where the research teams conduct their investigations. To ensure progress and coordination, regular discussions are held among the team of professors involved. Furthermore, Professor Liu Shun-Wei, as the director of the center, has attained significant academic influence in the field of organic electronics. In 2016, he achieved a significant milestone by being selected as an Editorial Editor for the esteemed international journal "Scientific Reports." This accomplishment marks him as the first researcher with a background in organic optoelectronics from a technological university in Taiwan to hold such a distinguished position within such a high-level journal.


Research Topics

Professor Shun-Wei Liu's research topic is in the optimization of the organic/inorganic thin-films for optoelectronic device applications. After 2018, he is currently studying how to prepare the novel electronics with ultra-thin, super lightweight, and high waterproof substrate. His interests include:

Vacuum deposited organic and perovskite materials and devices

Parylene and atomic-layer depositions

Transparent OLEDs

Deep red/near infra-red OLEDs for hair-germination

Small-molecule photovoltaics for indoor application


Honor
  • Ta-Yao Wu Memorial Award (2018)
     
  • Award for Excellent Contribution in Technology Transfer (2018)
     
  • Outstanding Young Researcher Award (2018)
     
  • Future Technology Award" at the Taiwan Innotech Expo (2023)

Educational Background

Ph.D, Optics and Photonic Engineering, National Taiwan University