Born in Bejing, China in 1937, Alfred Y. Cho and his family moved to the United States when he was in the sixth grade. Dr. Cho received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1960, 1961, and 1968, respectively.
Dr. Cho joined Bell Laboratories after completing his studies in 1968. In the 1970s, his research produced innovations that revolutionized the semiconductor industry. He is recognized as the co-inventor and principal developer of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), a technique for growing and layering atom-size thin films, creating new materials nature cannot duplicate. This ultra-high vacuum process is now used worldwide to manufacture electronic and optoelectronic semiconductor chips.
In addition to the Elliot Cresson Medal in 1995, Dr. Cho received Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Medal of Honor in 1994, the National Medal of Science, presented by President Clinton in 1993. He is an IEEE Fellow, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Information as of 1995