T.c. Chen

Dr. Tze-chiang (T.C.) Chen joined the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York in 1984. He is currently an IBM Fellow and the Vice President of Science and Technology at Thomas J. Watson Research Center, IBM Research Division in Yorktown Heights, New York. In his capacity, Dr. Chen directs the strategy for computing systems of the future and oversees the research activities in the areas of physical science, advanced semiconductor science and technology, subsystem integration, and advanced communication technology.

For over 25 years, Dr. T.C. Chen has driven major innovations in silicon microelectronics technology with contributions spanning across research, development and product manufacturing. His technical and managerial leadership in understanding and developing advanced bipolar, complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM) technology has played a critical role in placing IBM as the leader of semiconductor technology.

Dr. Chen received his Ph.D. Degree in Engineering and Applied Science from Yale University in 1985. He has published more than 70 papers in technical journals and conferences, and has been awarded more than 25 patents. During the 1980s, Dr. Chen conducted pioneering work on the polysilicon emitter/single crystal silicon interface that led to the world’s first double-poly bipolar technology to manufacturing. The successful commercialization of this technology formed the basis of semiconductor devices that were deployed in the IBM S/390 mainframe computers. In the 1990s, his contributions to CMOS miniaturization and DRAM devices have had a profound impact on IBM’s leadership in CMOS process technology and DRAM manufacturing. Beginning in 1999, Dr. Chen helped lead an IBM team that demonstrated the first commercial microprocessor using silicon-on-insulator technology for high-performance logic. He also personally led IBM’s high-k/metal-gate CMOS development, which was one of the biggest changes to silicon microelectronics technology in decades. Technology developed under Dr. Chen’s guidance has impacted mainframe computing systems used worldwide for scientific, banking, and other business applications and has advanced the global semiconductor industry as a whole.

He is a strong advocator for international cooperation in technology development and has been a technical leader in several highly successful multinational development programs that have become models for future industrial joint development programs. Dr. Chen was elected as a Fellow Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 1998 and Fellow Member of American Physical Society (APS) in 2005. He has been recognized with several IBM Technical Innovation Awards and was named IBM Distinguished Engineer and IBM Fellow in 1996 and 1999, respectively. Dr. Chen was elected to receive the Asian American Engineer of the year Award in 2005. In 2011, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) honored Chen with the 2011 Ernst Weber Engineering Leadership Recognition award acknowledging Dr. Chen’s exceptional managerial leadership and contributions in the field of silicon chip technologies.