Zoomed in shot of tools (forceps and pointed pen-like object) on top of a computer chip.

2nd Annual Workshop on Emerging Trends in Semiconductor Technology

August 14 - 15, 2025 | 101 Davis Hall, UB North Campus | Buffalo, NY

About the Workshop

Emerging Trends in Semiconductor Technology is hosted by the University at Buffalo’s Center for Advanced Semiconductor Technologies. This workshop brings together academic, industry and community leaders to focus on developing: Energy-efficient microelectronics to address the ever-increasing computing and communication requirements; Novel widegap semiconductors for electric vehicles and power grids; and Advanced photovoltaic (solar) technologies to meet the growing energy demands while achieving a net-zero carbon footprint.

The UB Center for Advanced Semiconductor Technologies fosters multi-disciplinary collaborations between researchers to address pressing needs of modern computing, green automotives and clean energy.

Agenda

Thursday, August 14

Session Time Speaker
Opening Remarks 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Jonathan Bird, Director, Center for Advanced Semiconductor Technologies, professor, Department of Electrical Engineering
Kemper Lewis, Dean, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Venu Govindaraju, Vice President, Office of Research and Economic Development
Keynote 9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. Peter Dowben, Professor, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Coffee Break 10:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.  
Widegap Semiconductor - Session 1: Coordinator: Herbert Fotso 10:30 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. Uttam Singisetti, Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo
Widegap Semiconductor - Session 1 10:50 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Zetian Mi, Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Michigan
Widegap Semiconductor - Session 1 11:30 a.m. - 11:50 a.m. Baishakhi Mazumder, associate professor, Department of Materials Design and Innovation
Boxed Lunch 11:50 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.  
Photovoltaics - Session 1: Coordinator: Jung-Hun Seo 1:00 p.m. - 1:20 p.m. Ian Sellers, Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering University at Buffalo
Photovoltaics - Session 1 1:20 p.m . - 2:00 p.m. Matthew Lumb, Founder and CEO, Polaris Semiconductor
Photovoltaics - Session 1 2:00 p.m. - 2:20 p.m. Jim (Jian-Ping) Zheng, SUNY Empire Innovation Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo
Coffee Break 2:20 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.  
Energy-Efficient Microelectronics Session 1: Coordinator: Huamin Li 2:30 p.m. - 2:50 p.m. Hao Zeng, Professor, Department of Physics, University at Buffalo
Energy-Efficient Microelectronics Session 1 2:50 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Gina Adam, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, George Washington University
Energy-Efficient Microelectronics Session 1 3:30 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. Quanxi Jia, National Grid Professor of Materials Research, SUNY Empire Innovation Professor, SUNY Distinguished Professor, Department of Material Design and Innovation, University at Buffalo
Coffee Break 3:50 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.  
Poster Session 3:50 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Coordinator: Changjiang Liu, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, University at Buffalo

Friday, August 15

Session Time Speaker
Keynote 9:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. Robert Geer, Professor, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering, Department of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, University at Albany
Energy Efficient Microelectronics - Session 2: Coordinator: Fei Yao 9:45 a.m. - 10:25 a.m. Yingying Wu, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Florida
Energy Efficient Microelectronics - Session 2 10:25 a.m. - 11:05 a.m. Shriram Ramanathan, Professor and Rodkin-Weintraub Chair in Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Drexel University
Energy Efficient Microelectronics - Session 2 11:05 a.m. - 11:25 a.m. Sambandamurthy Ganapathy, associate dean for research, Professor, Department of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, University at Buffalo
Coffee Break 11:25 a.m. - 11:40 a.m.  
Photovoltaics - Session 2: Coordinator: Changjiang Liu 11:40 a.m. - 12:20 p.m. Seth Hubbard, Professor, School of Physics and Astronomy, College of Science, Rochester Institute of Technology
Boxed Lunch 12:20 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.  
Photovoltaics - Session 2 1:00 p.m. - 1:40  p.m. Laura Schelhas, Group Manager, Hybrid and Nanoscale Materials Chemistry Group, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Photovoltaics - Session 2 1:40 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Tim Thomay, assistant professor, Department of Physics, University at Buffalo
Coffee Break 2:00 p.m. - 2:10 p.m.  
Widegap-Semiconductor - Session 2: Coordinator: Herbert Fotso 2:10 p.m. - 2:50 p.m. Sudip Mazumder, Distinguished Professor, Robert Uyetani Collegiate Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago
Widegap-Semiconductor - Session 2 2:50 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Robert Nemanich, Regents' Professor, Department of Physics, Arizona State University
Widegap-Semiconductor - Session 2 3:30 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. Jung-Hun Seo, associate professor, Department of Materials Design and Innovation
Closing Remarks 3:50 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. Jonathan Bird, Director, Center for Advanced Semiconductor Technologies, Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo

Speakers

Keynote Speakers

Peter Dowben.

Peter Dowben

Professor, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Robert Geer.

Robert Geer

Professor, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering, Department of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, University at Albany

Opening Remarks

Kemper Lewis.

Kemper Lewis

Dean, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo

Jonathan Bird.

Jonathan Bird

Professor and Chair, Department of Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo

Venu Govindaraju.

Venu Govindaraju

Vice President, Office of Research and Economic Development, University at Buffalo

Photovoltaics Speakers

Laura Shelhas.

Laura Schelhas

Group Manager, Hybrid and Nanoscale Materials Chemistry Group, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Matthew Lumb.

Matthew Lumb

Founder and CEO, Polaris Semiconductor

Seth Hubbard.

Seth Hubbard

Professor, School of Physics and Astronomy, College of Science, Rochester Institute of Technology

Ian Sellers.

Ian Sellers

Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo

Tim Thomay.

Tim Thomay

Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, University at Buffalo

Jian ZHeng.

Jim Zheng

SUNY Empire Innovation Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo

Widegap-Semiconductor Speakers

Zetian Mi.

Zetian Mi

Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Michigan

Sudip Mazumder.

Sudip Mazumder

Distinguished Professor, Robert Uyetani Collegiate Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago

Robert Nemanich.

Robert Nemanich

Regents' Professor, Department of Physics, Arizona State University

Uttam Singisetti.

Uttam Singisetti

Clifford C. Furnas Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo

Jung-Hun Seo.

Jung-Hun Seo

Associate Professor, Department of Materials Design and Engineering, University at Buffalo

Baishakhi Mazumder.

Baishakhi Mazumder

Associate Professor, Department of Material Design and Innovation, University at Buffalo

Energy Efficient Microelectronics Speakers

Shriram Ramanathan.

Shriram Ramanathan

Professor and Rodkin-Weintraub Chair in Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rutgers University

Gina Adam.

Gina Adam

Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, George Washington University

Yingying Wu.

Yingying Wu

Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Florida

Hao Zeng.

Hao Zeng

Professor, Department of Physics, University at Buffalo

Sambandamurthy Ganapathy.

Sambandamurthy Ganapathy

Professor, Department of Physics, University at Buffalo

Quanxi Jia.

Quanxi Jia

National Grid Professor of Materials Research, SUNY Empire Innovation Professor, SUNY Distinguished Professor, Department of Materials Design and Innovation, University at Buffalo

Poster Session

A crowd of students stand in the Davis Hall atrium. One student stands pointing to a poster and speaking while another examines the poster and listens to him.
A student in formal gear points to her research poster while other students look on.
Submit a poster

Students are welcome to submit posters for display during the first day of the conference. Deadline to submit is August 10. Please provide the following information:

  • Poster title
  • Presenter name
  • Presenter email address

Please send the poster title and a short abstract (≤ 120 words)  to Prof. Liu at changjia@buffalo.edu by Sunday, August 10.

Workshop general chair

  • Bibhudatta Sahoo.
    Bibhudatta Sahoo, PhD
    PhD, University of California, Los Angeles

    230 F Davis Hall

    Phone: (716) 645-9166

    bibhu@buffalo.edu

    Professor
    Department of Electrical Engineering
    School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

    Specialty/Research Focus: Analog and Mixed Signal Circuit Design, Signal Processing Inspired Analog Circuits for Wireless Communications Applications, Hardware Accelerators for Machine Learning – ASIC, FPGA, and Analog Methods, Circuits for Neuromorphic Computing – Analog and Mixed Signal Approach, Circuits for Sensor Interface Applications

Workshop committee members and session coordinators

Center for Advanced Semiconductor Technologies Director

  • Jonathan Bird.
    Jonathan Bird, PhD
    PhD, University of Sussex

    230 P Davis Hall

    Phone: (716) 645-1015

    jbird@buffalo.edu

    Professor
    Department of Electrical Engineering
    School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
    Director
    Center for Advanced Semiconductor Technologies

    Specialty/Research Focus: Nanoelectronics and mesoscopic physics: fundamental investigations of quantum phenomena; explorations of new device and sensing paradigms; electrical properties of novel nanomaterials

School of Engineering and Applied Science Dean

  • Kemper E. Lewis.
    Kemper E. Lewis, PhD
    PhD, Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

    208 Davis Hall

    kelewis@buffalo.edu

    Dean
    School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
    Professor
    Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
    School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
    Director of the Sustainable Manufacturing and Advanced Technologies (SMART) CoE
    Sustainable Manufacturing and Advanced Robotic Technologies
    School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

    Research Interests: Large-Scale Systems Design, Design Analytics, Collaborative Design Methods, Decentralized Design, Decision Theory, Decision Networks, Additive Manufacturing, Multiobjective Optimization, Machine Learning for Design and Manufacturing