Award winners: Hong Kong Polytechnic University Professors Helen Chan and Choy Chung-loong won the State Technological Invention second-class award for their achievement in developing an advanced industrial material.

The establishment of the Innovation & Technology Fund has greatly enhanced the cooperation between universities and industry, say two Hong Kong Polytechnic University professors, winners of a State Technological Invention second-class award.

Organised by the State Council of the People's Republic of China, the award recognises the achievements of researchers whose significant technological invention is being used to produce products, industrial techniques, materials and their related systems by applying the knowledge of science and technology.

Professors Helen Chan and Choy Chung-loong's winning project, entitled Piezoelectric & pyroelectric materials for sensor and mechatronic device applications, made use of the special characteristics of ceramic/polymer composite materials to perform sensing and actuating functions.

The two scientists applied their advanced technology to the development of ultrasonic transducers for wire-bonding machines, with about $4.5 million from the Innovation & Technology Fund.

The project team approached ASM International, a semiconductor packaging equipment production company, to work with them as a partner to develop the technology. The multinational company agreed.

"Both our team and our partner have benefited from the project. We helped the company to improve its competitiveness while we gained more experience in developing technology which can be applied to industry," Professor Choy said.

On February 28, at a ceremony in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, Premier Zhu Rongji handed Professor Chan the award for the project. It marked the first time local scientists have won the awards.

"It was the first time that Hong Kong and Macao scientists were allowed to compete for the award and we were very glad that our project was nominated by the Innovation & Technology Commission," Prof Choy said.

"Hong Kong Polytechnic University started the research on industrial materials in 1992. Having acquired some experience in the subject, we further study the practical use of the materials in industry."

Using ceramic/polymer composites greatly enhances the performance of ultrasonic transducers for wire-bonding machines, Prof Chan said. It decreases the width of the bonds and stabilises the machines' operation. This is key in the production of semiconductors, or "chips", used in myriad electronic devices.

Both scientists were happy to learn that they were the first Hong Kong scientists to win the award.

"The award is a great encouragement to our project team," Professor Chan enthused.