2024
IEEE FOUNDERS MEDAL
Sponsored by Lockheed Martin Corporation
For leadership in the advancement and commercialization of nanometer semiconductor technologies and the promotion of microelectronics workforce development
A microelectronics visionary and innovator, Tsu-Jae King Liu’s FinFET contributions have drastically improved the speed and functionality of semiconductor circuits and have extended the life of Moore’s Law since 2011. Today, FinFET forms the basis for all leading-edge semiconductor design and manufacturing in the world and is enabling all modern data centers, internet links, computers, and smartphones, underscoring the societal and economic impact of her work. Liu is an undisputed leader in the field, serving on the Board of Directors of Intel and of MaxLinear. She also leads the American Semiconductor Academy initiative, which brings together universities and community colleges to partner with the semiconductor industry and the U.S. government to grow career pathways with the speed and scale necessary to meet the industry’s growing workforce development needs. Her many successes in broadening the pipeline of STEM students at the national and state levels are benefiting students, industry, and society at large. Liu has also initiated many successful programs to increase diversity and equity in the field, including the “Rising Stars in EECS” workshop at UC Berkeley to help women become professors. This workshop now rotates among several universities and, notably, 10 current Berkeley EECS women faculty are alumnae of the program. Liu’s leadership has been recognized by educators and industry with awards such as the Chang-Lin Tien Leadership in Education Award, the SRC Aristotle Award, and the IEEE EDS Education Award for “outstanding contributions to education and achievements in diversity and inclusion.”
An IEEE Fellow, Liu is Dean, College of Engineering, and Roy W. Carlson Professor, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.