Tuesday, November 13, 2012 Noon – 1  pm
TI Auditorium E-1
2900 Semiconductor Drive
Santa Clara, CA

The IEEE SFBA Nanotechnology Council has teamed up with the IEEE Electron Devices Society SCV Chapter to bring you Distinguished Lecturer Hector De Los Santos from Los Angeles to talk about NanoMEMS and its role as an enabler of ubiquitous wireless connectivity.

TITLE: NanoMEMS
NanoMEMS exploits the convergence between nanotechnology and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) brought about by advances in the ability to fabricate nanometer-scale electronic and mechanical device structures. While the “Nano” aspect of this field is in its infancy, and is not expected to reach maturity until well into the 21st century, its “MEMS” aspect is a topic of much current and near-term impact in, for instance, inertial sensing, biomedicine, optical and RF/Wireless communications. In this context, we will begin this talk by discussing the fundamentals of NanoMEMS, in particular, as it relates to its most speculative and futuristic paradigms and applications, and then will focus on the RF/Wireless MEMS aspect, specifically in its role as enabler of ubiquitous wireless connectivity. We conclude by pointing out potential pitfalls to be encountered in its development, in particular, by addressing the subjects of stiction and pull-in in the contexts of varactors (Casimir effect) and switches.

SPEAKER: Dr. Héctor J. De Los Santos, NanoMEMS Research, LLC, Irvine, Ca

Héctor J. De Los Santos received the Ph.D. degree from the School of Electrical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, in 1989. Prior to founding NanoMEMS in 2002, he spent two years as Principal Scientist at Coventor, Inc., Irvine, CA, and eleven years at Hughes Space and Communications Company, Los Angeles, where he served as Principal Investigator and Director of the Future Enabling Technologies IR&D Program where he pursued research in the areas of RF MEMS, Quantum Functional Devices and Circuits, and Photonic Bandgap Devices and Circuits. He holds over 20 US and European patents, and is author of bestseller textbooks, including Introduction to Microelectromechanical (MEM) Microwave Systems (1999), and RF MEMS Circuit Design for Wireless Communications (2001). His most recent book, Principles and Applications of NanoMEMS Physics, was published in 2005.

Dr. De Los Santos is a member of Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, and Sigma Xi. From 2001-2003 he lectured worldwide as an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer of the Microwave Theory and Techniques Society. Since 2006 he is an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer of the Electron Devices Society. His current research interests include, discovery, conception, theory, physics, computational modeling, simulation, analysis, design and applications (electronic, microwave and mm-waves, photonics, etc.) of devices and circuits enabled by exploiting physical phenomena occurring down to nanometer length scales, including, plasmonics, photonic crystals, RF MEMS, and mechanical systems in the quantum regime.

Dr. De Los Santos serves as a reviewer for several technical journals, including, JMEMS, T-ED, T-MTT, T-NANO, and APL, and funding agencies, in particular, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the European Science Foundation, the Australian Research Council (ARC), and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada. He is an IEEE Fellow.

AGENDA:

• 11:30 am – Registration & light lunch (pizza & drinks)
• Noon – Presentation & Questions/Answers
• 1:00 pm – Adjourn