Stephen Chou
Joseph C. Elgin Professor of Engineering
Professor of Electrical Engineering
Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1986
M.A., Physics, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 1982
B.S., Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, 1978
Room: B412 Engineering Quadrangle
Phone: 609-258-4416
Email: chou@princeton.edu
Webpage: Chou's Lab
Research Areas and Interests
- Biological/Biomedical Engineering
- Large Area/Flex Electronics for Display/Sensing/Energy Applications
- Nanoscale Materials/Devices for Sensing and Energy Applications
- Photonic Systems, Non-linear Optics, Quantum Optics
Advances in nanotechnology offer great opportunities for innovation and discovery in many areas of science and engineering. As structures become smaller than some fundamental physical length scales, many conventional theories no longer apply.
My group, the NanoStructure Laboratory (NSL) at Princeton, has two primary missions: (A) to develop new nanotechnologies for fabricating structures substantially smaller, better, and cheaper than current technology permits, and (B) to explore innovative nanodevices and advanced materials in electronics, optics, optoelectronics, magnetics, and biology, by combining cutting-edge nanotechnology with frontier knowledge from different disciplines.
Our current projects include:
1. Nanotechnology: nanoimprint technology, electron-beam lithography, reactive-ion etching, guided self-assembly (i.e., lithographically induced self-assembly [LISA], fracture-induced self-assembly [FISA], stress-induced self-alignment [SISA] of diblock copolymers, and self-perfection by liquefaction [SPEL]), and many other innovative nanofabrication technologies.
1. Nanotechnology: nanoimprint technology, electron-beam lithography, reactive-ion etching, guided self-assembly (i.e., lithographically induced self-assembly [LISA], fracture-induced self-assembly [FISA], stress-induced self-alignment [SISA] of diblock copolymers, and self-perfection by liquefaction [SPEL]), and many other innovative nanofabrication technologies.
2. Nanoelectronics: ultra-small metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), single-electron transistors and memories, phase-change memories, thin-film transistors, resonant tunneling diodes and transistors, and nanowire and carbon-nanotube devices
3. Nanophotonics: subwavelength optical elements (i.e., feature size less light wavelength) and systems (i.e., photonic crystals, negative index materials, plamonics, etc.), ultra-fast photodetectors, tunable lasers, liquid crystals, deep UV filters and modulators
4. Nanomagnetics: patterned signal domain magnetic structures, single-domain bit-patterned magnetic media (originally quantized magnetic disks)
5. Nanobiology: innovative biological manipulators, separators, detectors, and analyzers for DNA, proteins, and cells, which combine nanofluidic channels, nanopillars, nanoelectronics, nanooptics, and nanomagnetics
6. Nanomaterials: advanced meta-materials and nanocrystals on amorphous substrates via prepatterned substrates
Our previous work includes used invention and pioneering developments of new nanofabrication methods (i.e., LISA, SPEL, nanoimprint lithography [NIL], and laser-assisted direct imprint [LADI]); a new paradigm in magnetic data storage/quantized magnetic disks (QMDs, now called patterned media); the first room-temperature Si single-electron memories; the first sub20 nm fluidic channels for biodetections; the first SOE polarizers, phase-plates, and switches by NIL; and the first 510GHz MSM photodetectors.
NSL is equipped with a variety of state-of-the-art nanofabrication and nanodevice characterization facilities, including ultrahigh resolution electron beam lithography, nanoimprint lithography, interference lithography, thermal and e-beam evaporators and sputtering systems, reactive ion etchers, scanning electron and scanning force microscopes, wavelength tunable femtosecond lasers, electric and magnetic measurement systems, and polymer characterization.
Honors and Awards
- Member of National Academy of Engineering (2007)
- IEEE Cledo Brunetti Award (2004)
- Inductee of New Jersey High Tech Hall of Fame (2004)
- Pan Wen Yuan Foundation, Outstanding Research Award (2009)
- IEEE Fellow (2000)
- Packard Fellow (1991)
- "Ten Emerging Technologies That Would Change World", MIT Technology Review (2003)
- Distinguished Achievement Award, Chinese Institute of Engineers, USA (2007)
- Nano 50 Award (Inventor) (2007)
- Joseph C. Elgin Professor, Princeton University (1997)
- McKnight-Land Grant Professor, University of Minnesota (1992)
