2007-9-14

Zhores I. Alferov

At 11:45 on October 10th of local time (17:45 of Beijing time), the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences RSAS declared that the Nobel Prize in Physics 2000 was awarded to three scientists of Zhores I. Alferov of A. F. Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute St. Petersburg, Russia , Herbert Kroemer of University of California Santa Barbara, CA, USA and Jack S. Kilby of Texas Instruments Dallas, TX, USA,for their basic work on information and communication technology, esp. for developing semiconductor heterostructures used in high-speed, laser diode and integrated circuit (chip).

They would share the cash award of 9 million Swedish Kronor (about US$916,000). Zhores I. Alferov and Herbert Kroemer invented opto-electronic devices used in high-speed and microelectronic devices which were called semiconductor heterostructures in accordance with hierarchical scheduling structure for semiconductor. They would gain half of the cash award. Transistors used in high speed applying semiconductor heterostructures will be used broadly in broadcast satellite and handset base station. Laser diode applying the same technology can drive information flow into network cable and also can be applied to CD-ROM, Bar-Code recognizer and laser pickup head. Heterostructure technology makes it possible to apply high power light emitting diode to warning lights such as stoplight, traffic light, etc. Light emitting diode would replace electric light in the future.

Jack S. Kilby from Texas Instruments Dallas, TX, USA was awarded for or his part in the invention and development of the integrated circuit. Based on this invention, microelectronics became the foundation of all modern technologies. For example, to collect and process data, control washing machine, automobiles, space exploration and diagnostic/medical equipment, such as X-ray equipment and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging device, from electronic watch and TV play to micro-calculator and computer and so on, by using processors with strong function,

Zhores I. Alferov is the first winner of Nobel Prize after Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990.

Nobel Prize in Physics is one of five awarding fields mentioned by Alfred Bernhard Nobel, who was the inventor of explosive, in his will. But Nobel did not male a clear presentation in his will. He only said that part of the cash award should be awarded to people who make important discovery or invention in physics. Winner of Nobel Prize in Physics is nominated by Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences RSAS . The first Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Rontgen- the discoverer of X-ray in 1901.