Every year, the editors of R&D Magazine, an Advantage Business Media publication, chooses one individual who demonstrates excellence and creativity in the design, development and introduction into the marketplace of one or more technologically significant products over the past five years.
We extend an invitation to our readers to nominate that individual. Submissions are not limited to the research and development community, but the selection of the winning nomination is the sole responsibility of the editorial staff of R&D Magazine and an appointed panel of judges.
Requirements for an Innovator of the Year:
1 – Must have shown leadership in the development of a product or products to his/her organization within the past five years that must be readily identified as innovative—not evolutionary, trivial, or obvious.
2 – The product development made by the nominee must have made a significant contribution to his/her organization with regard to one or more (but not limited to) of the following items:
• Increased sales
• Increased profitability
• Increased market share
• Increased overall growth for the organization
• Dramatic improvements in product performance or applications
• Dramatic improvements in safety or security
• Dramatic improvements in the sustainability, cost effectiveness, efficiency, or producibility of the product
3 – The product development can consist of an actual hardware-based product, software, process technology, or service.
4 – The product development accomplishments can consist of one or more individual products.
5 – Product development accomplishments can consist of products with applications in any country.
6 – There is no fee for any nominations and submitters may nominate more than one candidate.
7 – Only one nominee will be selected the Innovator of the Year—team awards will not be made.
8 – Selection of winning candidates is made by the editorial staff of R&D Magazine and their decisions are final.
9 – Submitters may nominate more than one candidate. Candidates can self-nominate for the award.
10 – Nominees must be aware that they are being nominated for this award.
11 – The selected nominee must be available for phone interviews to R&D editors for this award (between June 16 – July 15, at a mutually convenient time)
12 – The selected Innovator of the Year will be the subject of the cover story for the August 2008 issue of R&D Magazine.
13 – The selected Innovator of the Year is invited to attend an awards ceremony at Chicago’s Navy Pier. Attendance at this ceremony is not mandatory and travel expenses must be borne by the Innovator of the Year—complementary tickets for the Award’s Banquet Cocktail Reception and Awards Banquet will be provided by R&D Magazine, along with an appropriate Award obelisk, and reprints of the August 2008 cover story.
14 – Nominations will be accepted through 11:59 pm June 16, 2008—no extensions will be made.
15 – The winning Innovator of the Year will be informed no later than June 17, 2008. Non-winning nominations will not be informed, information on the winning candidate can be obtained after June 16, 2008 at 973-920-7063.
To submit for this year’s award, please provide the following information:
1 – Submitter, Title, Organization, Address, and Contact Information
2 – Innovator of the Year nominee, Title, Organization, Address, and Contact Information
3 – Reason why nominee should be selected as R&D’s Innovator of the Year (250 words max)
4 – Nominee bio
5 – Products/Software/Processes/Services developed by the Nominee
6 – Applications and/or purpose of the nominee’s product development (250 words max)
7 – Resulting effect of the nominee’s product development efforts on his/her organization and/or the marketplace.
8 – Professional references with contact information for the nominee (optional)
Last Thursday, the R&D Daily made one of its occasional forays into the fast-paced world of semiconductor technology, specifically extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL). According to new measurements from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the photoresists designed for use with this hotly-anticipated new technology are twice as effective is previously thought.
The discrepancy was caused by an older measurement method. Unfortunately, it’s not great news for EUV developers because it strongly indicates existing optics are only half as effective as previously thought.
However, judging from a recent conversations with technical leaders at Cymer, a major U.S. maker of radiation sources for semiconductor lithography, the rolling ball that is EUVL won’t be stopped anytime soon.
Cymer is one of just a few companies at the forefront of a race to develop a viable EUV scanner to replace existing 193 nm argon-fluoride-based devices which now dominate the semiconductor industry. Like other companies, it pushing to design a powerful light source in the about 13 nm wavelength range. So far, it has achieved 25 W of continuous power and intends to break 100 W by year’s end. And, like other companies, it must deal with the intense heat generated by such light and design robust optics which are efficient enough to achieve conversion goals.
Only with adequate conversion efficiency will developers of EUVL be in a position to deliver the performance needed when the market wants it.
It remains to be seen whether EUVL is the new standard in 2012 (the target date for widespread adoption of new scanners). But R&D Magazine will be closely following the progress of this and other technologies aimed at the next-generation of microchips; the push to keep us on the path of that oft-cited economic law of Gordon Moore will continue to surprise us.
Every year, the editors of R&D Magazine, an Advantage Business Media publication, chooses one individual who demonstrates excellence and creativity in the design, development and introduction into the marketplace of one or more technologically significant products over the past five years.
