Nelson Tansu
Daniel E. '39 and Patricia M. Smith Endowed Chair Professor in Photonics and Nanoelectronics
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)
Lehigh University

Abstract
The talk will present the advances in III-Nitride semiconductors that have impacted the areas of solid state lighting, energy efficiency, and power electronics. The key technological advances that had overcome the important barriers in the areas of III-nitride semiconductors, specifically on light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and lasers, will be elaborated. The innovations in the materials, devices, and nanostructures have enabled the improvement in the internal quantum efficiency and addressed droop-issues in visible and UV LEDs, and the use of nano/micro-photonics has resulted in dramatic increase in extraction efficiency in devices. The technical approaches to address charge separation issues in nitride based QWs, nanoheteroepitaxy concept for nitride materials, and unique low-cost method for improving the light extraction in LED will be covered in this lecture. Relevant basic sciences and technologies described here with successful technology transfer to industry will also be discussed. The next frontiers in nitride-based research for energy efficiency and power electronics will be emphasized, specifically on the III-nitride dilute-anion semiconductors and new approaches for long wavelength emitters in nitride. Numerous potentially-impactful new directions in III-nitride research beyond solid state lighting and power electronics will also be discussed.

 
Speaker Bio
Prof. Nelson Tansu is Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (elected in 2016).Tansu is the Daniel E. '39 and Patricia M. Smith Endowed Chair Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), and Director for the Center for Photonics and Nanoelectronics (CPN) at Lehigh University. He received his B.S. degree (Applied Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, and Physics; with Highest Distinction) and his Ph.D. degree (Electrical Engineering / Applied Physics) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May 1998 and May 2003, respectively. He had made seminal advances to the invention and innovation, fundamental sciences, and device technologies of III-V and III-Nitride semiconductors. Specifically, his innovations have impacted areas of dilute-nitride diode lasers, and III-nitride semiconductor technologies for energy efficiency. He has more than 16 US patents, and his work is integrated in today’s state-of-the-art solid state lighting technology. He has authored 130+ refereed journals and 272+ conference publications. His work has been funded (~ $13.38 million in 15 years) by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), DARPA, Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Education, and State of Pennsylvania. Other selected awards include: 2003 Harold A. Peterson Best ECE Dissertation Award (at Wisconsin), 2010 Wisconsin Forward Under 40 Award (at Wisconsin), Wisconsin Prominent Alumni (2012-present), Wisconsin Notable Alumni List (2016-present). Tansu was selected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE)’s Frontiers of Engineering (FOE) programs (2008, 2009, 2012, and 2014), and he also served as the Organizing Committee for the 2009 NAE’s U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium. His life story as a professor was published in the form of best-selling children’s book “Nelson the Boy who Loved to Read” in his native country Indonesia. He serves as the Editor-in-Chief for Photonics and Editorial Board Members in 8 other leading journals in applied physics and nanotechnology.