Professors from UC Berkeley and UT Dallas Honored for Excellence in Semiconductor Technology and Design Research

by Semiconductor Industry Association

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Nov. 13, 2014—The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), representing U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing and design – in consultation with Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) – today presented its University Research Award to professors from University of California, Berkeley and University of Texas at Dallas in recognition of their outstanding contributions to semiconductor research.

Dr. Tsu-Jae King Liu, TSMC Distinguished Professor in Microelectronics in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) at UC Berkeley, received the honor in technology research, while Dr. Kenneth O, professor of engineering at UT Dallas, was recognized for design research.

“We are pleased to honor Dr. Liu and Dr. O for their pioneering work that has helped advance the semiconductor industry,” said Dr. John E. Kelly III, IBM senior vice president, director of IBM Research, and 2014 SIA chairman. “Research is the lifeblood of our industry as we endeavor to advance electronics to new levels of productivity. We salute Dr. Liu and Dr. O for their achievements.”

“SRC’s mission is to seed innovation and help provide the people and ideas to keep its members and the U.S. semiconductor industry competitive, and Dr. Liu and Dr. O are ideal examples of this collective effort,” said SRC President Larry Sumney. “We commend these accomplished researchers for their roles in our university research engine that has made the U.S. the cradle of discovery and technology development.”

Dr. Liu, a member of the Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute and Chair of the EECS Department at UC Berkeley, earned B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. Prior to joining UC Berkeley, she worked as a researcher at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center. Dr. Liu’s current research activities include nanometer-scale logic and memory devices for energy-efficient electronics; she currently leads research on millivolt nanomechanical switches under the NSF Center for Energy Efficient Electronics Science. More on Dr. Liu’s career can be found here.

Dr. O received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT. Before joining UT Dallas, he was a professor at the University of Florida, Gainesville. Dr. O is researching devices, circuits and systems in CMOS for sub-millimeter wave and THz applications. Dr. O is the Director of the Texas Analog Center of Excellence (TxACE) funded by SRC, the state through its Texas Emerging Technology Fund, Texas Instruments Inc., the UT System and UT Dallas. More on Dr. O’s career can be found here.

About SIA

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) is the voice of the U.S. semiconductor industry, one of America’s top export industries and a key driver of America’s economic strength, national security and global competitiveness. Semiconductors – microchips that control all modern electronics – enable the systems and products that we use to work, communicate, travel, entertain, harness energy, treat illness, and make new scientific discoveries. The semiconductor industry directly employs nearly a quarter of a million people in the U.S. In 2012, U.S. semiconductor sales totaled more than $146 billion, and semiconductors make the global trillion dollar electronics industry possible. Founded in 1977 by five microelectronics pioneers, SIA unites companies that account for 80 percent of America’s semiconductor production. Through this coalition, SIA seeks to strengthen U.S. leadership of semiconductor design and manufacturing by working with Congress, the Administration and other key industry stakeholders to encourage policies and regulations that fuel innovation, propel business and drive international competition. Learn more at www.semiconductors.org.

About SRC

Celebrating more than 30 years of collaborative research for the semiconductor industry, SRC defines industry needs, invests in and manages the research that gives its members a competitive advantage in the dynamic global marketplace. Awarded the National Medal of Technology, America’s highest recognition for contributions to technology, SRC expands the industry knowledge base and attracts premier students to help innovate and transfer semiconductor technology to the commercial industry. For more information, visit www.src.org.