Nanotechnology: Jinwoo Han, Ph.D. is Awarded 2019 IEEE Electron Devices Society Vacuum Electronics Young Scientist Award

August 2019

Jinwoo Han, Ph.D. has fabricated the world’s smallest vacuum tube using conventional silicon integrated circuit manufacturing technology. This allows manufacturing of vacuum devices at a cost structure similar to silicon chips. Vacuum devices are immune to radiation and therefore are ideal for space missions. In addition, since there are no collisions in vacuum, electrons are much faster in vacuum than in silicon; thus, the vacuum devices operate at higher frequencies. His pioneering work has generated worldwide resurgence of vacuum device technology, combining the best of vacuum device physics and modern semiconductor fabrication techniques. Currently, Dr. Han is fabricating nanoscale vacuum tubes in silicon carbide for potential Europa missions.

IEEE has presented this award for the first time for significant contributions in the field of vacuum electronics and Jinwoo is the Inaugural Winner.