The University of Illinois, today announced that it has entered into a license agreement with Samsung Electronics. The patented technology covers the use of deuterium in semiconductor devices and provides a solution to hot-carrier effects, which are known to cause problems with device reliability.

Under the terms of the agreement, Samsung will be able to use the University’s patented technology for semiconductor devices through the lifetime of the patents.

Avijit Ghosh, the University’s vice president for technology and economic development, said that the University is pleased by this agreement and that research conducted at the University of Illinois is helping create the next generation of semiconductors.

“Research conducted at University of Illinois has had significant impact in making possible the information era that has changed how we communicate and do business,” Ghosh said. “We are proud that this tradition continues.”

The University owns five U.S. and one South Korean patent covering the use of deuterium in semiconductor devices.

The University’s Deuterium Patents

The named inventors on the University’s Deuterium patents are Joseph Lyding, Karl Hess and Jinju Lee.

Lyding is a professor in the University’s electrical and computer engineering department and a full-time faculty member in the Nanoelectronics and Biophotonics Group. He is a fellow of the American Vacuum Society and APS, a senior member of IEEE and recipient of the DARPA Award for Sustained Excellence.

Hess, now retired from the University, is also a distinguished scientist and has been recognized for his numerous achievements, including the Heinrich Welker Award, the J.J. Ebers Award (IEEE) and election to both the prestigious National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering.

Lee is currently a research scientist at Intel Corp. At the time of the invention, Lee was a post-doctoral researcher in Lyding’s laboratory.

About the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a world-class research institution boasting a respected faculty, high national rankings, and state-of-the-art facilities. The University’s accomplishments include 22 Nobel Laureates among its faculty and alumni and such revolutionary innovations as the Web browser, new plant varieties and even the discovery of a third form of life.