NEWS
Honorary Doctorate
- Publish Date：2023-11-14
In memory of Academician Simon M. Sze
Academician and Life-long Professor of NYCU Simon M Sze (photo from TSIA)
Translated by Haydn Chen,
Professor and Chief Strategy Officer
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Our respected academician, Simon M. Sze (施敏) of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), passed away on the evening of November 6th 2023 in the United States. He was 87 years old.
Academician Sze was a masterful figure, often referred to as a semiconductor grandmaster. This title reflects his achievements in the semiconductor field and his outstanding contributions to the IC (integrated circuit) industry. When it came to the decision to introduce IC technology in our country, Academician Sze provided crucially valuable recommendations to Mr. Sun Yun-hsuan, a former Prime Minister of the Republic of China. These recommendations led to the right decisions being made and brought decades of glory to our country's semiconductor industry.
Academician Sze was a world-renowned expert and scholar who nurtured numerous leaders in education, research, and semiconductor manufacturing.
He was also a world-renowned expert and scholar who nurtured numerous leaders in education, research, and semiconductor manufacturing. This list includes former National Chiao Tung University President Chang Jun-yan, former Open University of Taiwan President Chen Long-ying (formerly Vice President of National Chiao Tung University), Chairman Lu Chao-chun of Etron Technology, and Dean Sun Yuan-cheng of the Industry Academia Innovation School of NYCU (formerly Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of TSMC), among others.
Furthermore, he had a prolific body of work, including the most famous book, "Physics of Semiconductor Devices," written between 1967 and 1969. Originally used as lecture notes for the Institute of Electronics at National Chiao Tung University, it quickly gained global attention. This book has been translated into six languages and distributed in over 3 million copies, becoming an essential resource for students, researchers, and professionals in the field of semiconductors and integrated circuits. It is often referred to as the best-selling "Bible of the Semiconductor Industry" worldwide.
Professor and Chief Strategy Officer
______
Our respected academician, Simon M. Sze (施敏) of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), passed away on the evening of November 6th 2023 in the United States. He was 87 years old.
Academician Sze was a masterful figure, often referred to as a semiconductor grandmaster. This title reflects his achievements in the semiconductor field and his outstanding contributions to the IC (integrated circuit) industry. When it came to the decision to introduce IC technology in our country, Academician Sze provided crucially valuable recommendations to Mr. Sun Yun-hsuan, a former Prime Minister of the Republic of China. These recommendations led to the right decisions being made and brought decades of glory to our country's semiconductor industry.
Academician Sze was a world-renowned expert and scholar who nurtured numerous leaders in education, research, and semiconductor manufacturing.
He was also a world-renowned expert and scholar who nurtured numerous leaders in education, research, and semiconductor manufacturing. This list includes former National Chiao Tung University President Chang Jun-yan, former Open University of Taiwan President Chen Long-ying (formerly Vice President of National Chiao Tung University), Chairman Lu Chao-chun of Etron Technology, and Dean Sun Yuan-cheng of the Industry Academia Innovation School of NYCU (formerly Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of TSMC), among others.
Furthermore, he had a prolific body of work, including the most famous book, "Physics of Semiconductor Devices," written between 1967 and 1969. Originally used as lecture notes for the Institute of Electronics at National Chiao Tung University, it quickly gained global attention. This book has been translated into six languages and distributed in over 3 million copies, becoming an essential resource for students, researchers, and professionals in the field of semiconductors and integrated circuits. It is often referred to as the best-selling "Bible of the Semiconductor Industry" worldwide.
The fourth edition of "Physics of Semiconductor Devices” by S.M. Sze and co-authors
Academician Sze has received awards such as the "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the Global Flash Memory Summit and the "Future Science Award.
Academician Sze once said that in 1967, he and his colleague, Dr. Kang Da-yuan, a Korean, were having dessert during a break when they saw layers of cheesecake. This sight inspired them to develop the "Floating Gate Non-Volatile Semiconductor Memory." This invention forms the basic structure of the widely used flash memory in electronic information products. Without his invention, we wouldn't have flash memory. This innovative research and its subsequent applications have driven and led the development of the mobile electronics era, ushering humanity into the digital age of smart living and profoundly impacting our way of life.
In 1990, Academician Sze officially joined National Chiao Tung University as a professor. In 2010, the university awarded him the title of "Distinguished Professor for Life." National Chiao Tung University recently merged with National Yang Ming University in February 2021 to become the National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. Having taught at Yang Ming Chiao Tung University for over 30 years, he brought a world-class visionary perspective to his students and nurtured numerous talents.
During Covid-19 pandemic Academician Sze held a press meeting announcing of the publication of the fourth edition of the Chinese version of "Physics of Semiconductor Devices”
at the NYCU on July 8, 2022
at the NYCU on July 8, 2022
Academician Sze’s achievements and contributions are highly esteemed internationally. In 1991, he received the IEEE J.J. Ebers Award, and in 2017, he was honored with the prestigious IEEE Celebrated Member Award. He is one of the few individuals who have been elected as an Academician of the Academia Sinica, the National Academy of Engineering in the United States, and a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He has also been recognized with the honor of becoming an Academician of the Industrial Technology Research Institute in Taiwan, and he has received awards such as the "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the Global Flash Memory Summit and the "Future Science Award."
Academician and Life-long Professor of NYCU Simon M Sze
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Academician and Life-long Professor of NYCU Simon M Sze
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During Covid-19 pandemic Academician Sze held a press meeting announcing of the publication of the fourth edition of the Chinese version of the “Physics of Semiconductor Devices” at the NYCU on July 8, 2022
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During Covid-19 pandemic Academician Sze held a press meeting announcing of the publication of the fourth edition of the Chinese version of the “Physics of Semiconductor Devices” at the NYCU on July 8, 2022
