Zhihong Chen became the director of Birck Nanotechnology Center in 2023. Among Dr. Chen’s research interests are two-dimensional electronic devices, beyond Cu hybrid interconnects and novel spintronic devices for energy-efficient computing. Dr. Chen received her doctorate in physics from the University of Florida in 2003. From there she joined IBM’s Watson Research Center, where she rose to become manager of the Carbon Technology Group. She joined the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University in 2010 as an associate professor, and has been a full professor since 2017.
Zhihong Chen
Mary Jo and Robert L. Kirk, Director, Birck Nanotechnology Center; Professor of Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Education
Ph.D. in Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. 2003; M.S. in Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. 2002; B.S. in Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. 1998
Research Interests
Exploration of physical properties of nano-materials; Control and manipulation of material properties to meet the needs of nano-electronic applications; Designing and fabricating novel nano-devices and circuits for various application fields. Areas of Interest: Nanoelectronics & Semiconductor Devices; Nanomaterials, Nanofabrication and Nanomanufacturing
Research Impact
Current research activities in Dr. Chen’s group focus on understanding physical properties of nano-materials, manipulating material properties, and designing and fabricating novel nano-devices to meet the requirements of various applications. The targeted research objects, low dimensional nano-materials, provide an excellent platform to study mesoscopic physics and nano-electronics. The research philosophy of the group is: Looking for uniqueness in your materials; being creative in your thinking; being responsive to the needs of the society – through relevant applications.