Kevin S. Jones, Ph.D.

Professor of Materials Science and Engineering

College of Engineering

1998 Awardee

Kevin Jones has spent his career exploring the relationship between the processing of semiconductors and the microstructure/properties of the resulting devices. His work on the role ion implantation plays in the manufacturing of ever-smaller transistors has garnered him international recognition, including a National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award.

Doping, or the intentional introduction of impurities, is an essential step in the semiconductor integrated circuit fabrication process, and ion implantation is the most widely used doping technology. The defects that form through ion implantation ultimately dictate how small transistors can be.

Using transmission electron microscopy and secondary ion mass microscopy, Jones’ research team has discovered the role different types of ion implantation defects play on final chip performance. Such understanding greatly enhances the ability to process simulation programs to accurately design future computer chips.

By combining their expertise in this area, Jones and UF electrical and computer engineering Professor Mark Law (also a UFRF Professor) have gained a unique understanding of this process. The SoftWare and Analysis of Advanced Material Processing (SWAMP) Center the two established has become one of the world’s premier centers for the study of advanced silicon integrated circuit processing. More than 20 graduate students and four post-doctoral fellows conduct research at the center, which is funded by about $1 million per year from the semiconductor industry.