title:Semiconductor Revolution of the 20th Century

　　Time： 1:30(PM), Nov.28, 2009

　　Venue： FIT, Tsinghua University
 

BIOGRAPHY：

　　Dr. Zhores Alferov is a true pioneer in the fields of semiconductor materials and optoelectronic devices. His seminal work on heterojunction lasers and compound semiconductor materials opened the door for vast range of research and development work world wide. The impact of his work can be seen a large number of applications including optical communications, energy, lighting and display.Dr. Alferov’s seminal contributions to the advancement of the III-V compound semiconductors led to major recognitions including the Nobel Prize for Physics (2000), Kyoto Prize – Advanced Technology (2001), Lenin Prize (USSR, 1972), Ballantyne Medal of the Franklin Institute (USA, 1971).

　　ABSTRACT：

　　The discovery of the transistor formed the basis for the development of semiconductor electronics of the 20th century. In turn, the discovery itself was based on fundamental semiconductor research: Wilson`s band theory, contact phenomena theory of Shottky and Davydov, photoeffect and tunneling research of Frenkel and Ioffe. Rapid development of information technologies in the second half of the 20th century mostly relies on silicon microelectronics and semiconductor heterostructures optoelectronics. The progress of silicon chips technology brightly illustrated with the Moore’s law has resulted in huge microprocessors and computer progress. The development of semiconductor heterostructures has allowed current state of fiber-optics communication, the use of cell phones, CDs, LED`s lighting, and provided a laboratory for creation and research of low dimensional electronic gas structures.Today’s birth of nanoelectronics brings forth a problem of setting principal limits for the further compliance with the Moore’s law. Origination of new branches of electronics C spintronics, molecular electronics, and quantum logic requires decades of research and development. Integration of semiconductor heterostructure photonics with silicon chips will probably become the most promising of its new stages.