Electrical engineering professor Kang L. Wang has received the 2009 Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) University Researcher Award, presented at the annual SIA Washington conference on March 12. Wang is the Raytheon Chair Professor of Physical Electronics. He also serves as the director of both the Center of Functional Engineered NanoArchitectonics (FENA) and the Western Institute of Nanoelectronics (WIN)
“The ‘crown jewel’ in the U.S. innovation ecosystem is our network of world-leading research universities,” said Hector Ruiz, chairman of SIA, announcing the award to Wang. “America’s research universities attract the best and brightest students and teachers from around the world. University researchers do the fundamental research that has enabled U.S. chipmakers to lead the world in developing innovative products and solutions. Each year, the SIA recognizes university researchers who have made significant contributions to solving the obstacles that must be overcome to continue on our technology roadmap.”
Wang received the university researcher award to recognize his relevant work addressing the significant challenges the semiconductor industry is facing as they move beyond the horizons of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors. His award was followed with personal congratulatory letters and meetings with California Congressional representatives Jerry Lewis and Henry Waxman.
Wang was one of two researchers selected by SIA for its 2009 University Researcher Award. The other was Anantha Chandrakasan of MIT.
Wang has been a professor in the Electrical Engineering Department at UCLA since 1979, and served as chair of the department from 1993 to 1996. His contributions include fundamental properties of SiGe strained layers and the first demonstration of the strained Complementary Metal Oxide Transistors (CMOS). He has directed research projects across the nation in semiconductor through FENA and WIN. His work on nanodevices, self-assembly of quantum structures, spintronics materials and devices, and more recently electric field control of nanoscale ferromagnetic semiconductor devices as well as other basic research to develop technologies enables continued progress in semiconductor technology beyond limits of CMOS.
Wang holds more than 25 patents and has published more than 400 papers. He has received many awards, including IBM Faculty Award; Guggenheim Fellow; IEEE Fellow; TSMC Honor Lectureship Award; Honoris Causa at Politechnico University, Torino, Italy; Semiconductor Research Corporation Inventor Awards; European Material Research Society Meeting Best paper award; the Semiconductor Research Corporation Technical Excellence Achievement Award.
The SIA is the leading voice for the semiconductor industry and has represented U.S. semiconductor companies since 1977 such as IBM, Intel, Motorola, Texas Instruments, and Applied Materials. The semiconductor industry is America’s second-largest exporting industry.