ANNLab News
Awards, funding, publications, presentations, and milestones from ANNLab, newest first.
August 2026: We officially welcome Dr. Ali Taha Habiboglu to ANNLab. Ali joins the group as a postdoctoral researcher after completing his Ph.D. with Prof. Weigang Wang in the Department of Physics, supported by the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship, with Prof. Zafer Mutlu as his faculty mentor for two years. At ANNLab, he will work on graphene nanoribbon nanoelectronics and fusion technologies. Welcome aboard, Ali!
August 2026: Prof. Zafer Mutlu has joined the Early Career Editorial Board of Graphene and 2D Materials, a Springer Nature journal.
July 2026: Our graphene nanoribbon radiation sensor research received widespread media coverage, with stories published by Phys.org, Interesting Engineering, Nanowerk, Graphene-Info, Scientific Frontline, Quantum Zeitgeist, The Quantum Insider, the American Nuclear Society’s Nuclear Newswire, Scienmag, Advanced Carbons Council, Business Fortune USA, ConnectSci, AAAS/EurekAlert, Technology.org, and many others.
July 2026: Our work on graphene nanoribbon radiation sensors was featured by University of Arizona News, highlighting its potential for radiation monitoring in space systems and future fusion reactors.
✅ Funding Update — July 2026: ANNLab has received a grant from the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) through the NNME Southwest Regional Node, part of the National Network for Microelectronics Education (NNME), a semiconductor workforce initiative operated by the SEMI Foundation with the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The award supports microelectronics education and workforce development at the University of Arizona, with Prof. Zafer Mutlu as Co-PI and Prof. Krishna Muralidharan as PI.
June 2026: Liam Ellersick has joined TSMC’s Arizona Fab in Phoenix as a summer intern for the second time, following his first internship at the site in summer 2025. After the internship he will continue in ANNLab as a master’s student, supported by the Intel Scholarship & Fellowship Program (ISFP). We wish him a productive summer in the fab.
✅ Funding Update — June 2026: ANNLab has received support from Intel Corporation through the Intel Scholarship & Fellowship Program (ISFP), administered by the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC). The program will fund master’s-level research in ANNLab over the next two years, with Liam Ellersick as the first ANNLab student supported under it.
✅ Funding Update — May 2026: ANNLab is part of REPLIQA, the Research Program at the Intersection of the Life Sciences and Quantum AI, a $10M initiative supported by Google.org through Google Quantum AI. The University of Arizona is one of five participating institutions, alongside Harvard University, MIT, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Barbara. Within the program, ANNLab will develop graphene nanoribbon–based quantum sensors, as part of the University of Arizona team led by Regents Professor Dante S. Lauretta. Read more in the Google Quantum AI announcement and the University of Arizona coverage.
🏅 Award Update — May 2026: Congratulations to Dr. Kentaro Yumigeta and Muhammed Yusufoglu, whose article “Electrical and Structural Response of Nine-Atom-Wide Armchair Graphene Nanoribbon Transistors to Gamma Irradiation”, published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2026), was selected for the journal’s supplementary front cover.
April 2026: ANNLab presented at the 2026 MRS Spring Meeting & Exhibit in Honolulu, Hawai‘i (April 26–May 1), with six presentations, including three talks and three posters. Congratulations to Dr. Kentaro Yumigeta, Howard Yawit, Julian Battaglia, and undergraduate researchers Malcolm Cuthbertson and Ture Gustafson.
March 2026: Prof. Zafer Mutlu gave a talk in the Chemical and Environmental Engineering (CHEE) department seminar at the University of Arizona on March 30, 2026, titled “Graphene Nanoribbon Transistors: Making Electronics from Molecules.” The talk presented advances in atomically precise graphene nanoribbons and their potential for next-generation nanoelectronic devices. Full details are available on the event page.
March 2026: Dr. Kentaro Yumigeta gave a talk in the MSE department seminar at the University of Arizona titled “Integrating Atomically Precise Graphene Nanoribbons into Electronic Devices.”
🏅 Award Update — March 2026: Congratulations to Yousif Kandelchy, recipient of a 2026 Emerging Researchers Award at the Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference in STEM, held in Atlanta, Georgia, March 19–21, 2026. He received second place for his undergraduate poster presentation in Technology — Civic Engagement and Industrial Manufacturing. Yousif, from Wayne State University, participated in the NSF NewFoS REM Program in summer 2025, where he worked on the characterization of surface acoustic wave devices for advanced radio frequency technologies at ANNLab. Congratulations to Yousif, and thanks to Howard Yawit for his excellent mentorship.
March 2026: Our undergraduate researchers Ture Gustafson, Kevin Kraseman, and Yousif Kandelchy presented at the Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference in STEM, held in Atlanta, Georgia, March 19–21, 2026. Their presentations were titled “Integration of Phononic Crystals for Surface Acoustic Wave Devices” (T. Gustafson), “Design and Fabrication of Chip-Scale Surface Acoustic Wave Devices for Advanced RF Technologies” (K. Kraseman), and “Characterization of Surface Acoustic Wave Devices for Advanced Radio Frequency Technologies” (Y. Kandelchy). Congratulations to all.
February 2026: Prof. Zafer Mutlu gave a talk titled “Nanosensor Strategy for High-Throughput Radiation Sensing” at the Arizona–Livermore Days event in Tucson, Arizona, on February 26, 2026. The university published a photo gallery from the event.
🏅 Award Update — February 2026: Congratulations to Dr. Kentaro Yumigeta on receiving the University of Arizona Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar Award, which recognizes postdoctoral researchers who demonstrate exceptional performance in research, communication, leadership, and mentoring.
✅ Funding Update — January 2026: ANNLab has been awarded a user program grant at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT), a U.S. Department of Energy user facility jointly operated by Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories. Dr. Kentaro Yumigeta is the principal investigator for the project, “Defect-Based Radiation Sensing Enhanced by Quantum Confinement in Atomically Precise Graphene Nanoribbons,” which provides no-fee access to state-of-the-art facilities through June 2027. Congratulations to Dr. Yumigeta on this success.
January 2026: Dr. Kentaro Yumigeta and Howard Yawit delivered presentations at the NewFoS Center Stakeholder Meeting on their research projects related to topological acoustic devices.
January 2026: Howard Yawit gave a talk titled “Phase-Change Material Integration on SAW Delay Lines for Reconfigurable Topological Acoustic RF Devices” at Arizona Photonics Days 2026 in Tucson, Arizona, on January 14, 2026, one of the premier regional meetings in photonics. The conference program has full talk details.
🏅 Award Update — December 2025: Congratulations to Dr. Kentaro Yumigeta on winning the competitive Postdoctoral Affairs Travel Award. He will use this grant to present his work on graphene nanoribbons at the 2026 MRS Spring Meeting & Exhibit, taking place April 26–May 1 in Honolulu, Hawai‘i.
🏅 Award Update — December 2025: Congratulations to the SEMILITHO capstone team on winning the Outstanding Capstone Project Award. The project was carried out under the Craig M. Berge Engineering Design Program, based on the idea and technical direction of faculty sponsor Prof. Zafer Mutlu. Thank you to the ANNLab members who helped with the cleanroom work, including Muhammed Yusufoglu, Howard Yawit, and Thomas Sweepe. Read the announcement.
December 2025: Howard Yawit presented his research titled “Laser-Patterned Phononic Lattices on Lithium Niobate for Surface Acoustic Wave Devices” at the 2025 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 2, 2025. His work focuses on phononic structure engineering for next-generation topological surface acoustic wave technologies.
October 2025: Prof. Zafer Mutlu gave an invited talk titled “From Molecules to Logic: Atomically Precise Graphene Nanoribbon Transistors” at the 2025 Lawrence Symposium on Epitaxy at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, on October 13–14, 2025.
October 2025: The Microelectronics and Advanced Packaging Technologies (MAPT) Roadmap 2.0 has been released by the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC). Prof. Zafer Mutlu contributed to the Digital Processing chapter, which explores current and emerging drivers of digital processing, and to the Workforce Development chapter, which sets out a framework for strengthening the semiconductor talent pipeline.
✅ Funding Update — October 2025: Prof. Zafer Mutlu, as Principal Investigator, has secured a grant from the Southwest Advanced Prototyping (SWAP) Hub, a DoD-funded regional innovation hub under the Microelectronics Commons initiative, administered by the National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL) and supported by a $39.8 million CHIPS Act investment. The project develops AR/VR interactive modules for cleanroom education, in collaboration with Prof. Mehmet Belviranli (Colorado School of Mines) and Prof. Brian Kim (University of Arizona).
✅ Funding Update — September 2025: Congratulations to Dr. Kentaro Yumigeta on securing a $50K seed grant from the NSF New Frontiers of Sound (NewFoS) Science and Technology Center for his proposal “Topological Terahertz Acoustic Laser in Graphene.” This competitive seed program supports innovative, high-risk research directions in sound and materials. More information about the program and other seed projects is available on the NewFoS seed projects page.
September 2025: Muhammed Yusufoglu presented his research on direct dielectric deposition on graphene nanoribbon FETs at the SRC TECHCON 2025 Conference in Austin, Texas, on September 7–10. This work is supported by the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC).
August 2025: University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella visited ANNLab as part of his tour of the NSF New Frontiers of Sound Center. During the visit, Howard Yawit demonstrated the topological acoustic wave devices he fabricated on large-scale lithium niobate chips. These devices hold exciting potential for next-generation RF technologies.
August 2025: Dr. Kentaro Yumigeta and Muhammed Yusufoglu presented our latest research on graphene nanoribbons at the 39th North American Conference on Molecular Beam Epitaxy (NAMBE 2025) on August 25, 2025, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. See the technical program.
🎓 Graduation Update — August 2025: Thomas Sweepe successfully defended his master’s thesis, “Fabrication and Integration Strategies for Atomically Precise Graphene Nanoribbon Field-Effect Transistors (GNRFETs).” As one of the key researchers in ANNLab, Thomas helped advance nanoscale GNRFET fabrication and demonstrated for the first time GNRFETs made entirely with transferred electrodes. He completed a summer internship at TSMC as an EUV lithography engineer the previous year. After graduation, he joined TSMC. We wish him continued success in his professional journey.
July 2025: Muhammed Yusufoglu gave an invited talk titled “Smarter Nanoelectronics with Atomically Precise Graphene Nanoribbons” in the special session Topological Materials for Electronics: Concepts to Applications at the 25th IEEE International Conference on Nanotechnology (IEEE NANO 2025), held July 13–16, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
June 2025: Liam Ellersick joined TSMC’s Arizona Fab in Phoenix as a summer intern. He is the third ANNLab student to take part in a TSMC internship since 2024. We wish him success in this valuable industry experience.
🏅 Award Update — June 2025: Congratulations to Dr. Kentaro Yumigeta, who has been named a 2025 Sursum Fellow through the University of Arizona’s Postdoctoral Research Development Grant (PRDG) program. This internal award supports outstanding postdoctoral scholars in advancing their research and professional development. Well deserved, Kentaro.
🏅 Award Update — April 2025: Prof. Zafer Mutlu received the Peterson Family Outstanding Early Career Faculty Award in recognition of excellence in research, teaching, and service by early-career faculty at the University of Arizona College of Engineering. The award was presented by Dean David Hahn during a college-wide ceremony.
April 2025: Prof. Zafer Mutlu hosted a field trip at the University of Arizona for 14 visitors from RTX (Raytheon). Guests toured several of our labs, including ANNLab, and engaged in productive discussions about potential future collaborations. It was a great opportunity to showcase our work and explore possibilities together.
🏅 Award Update — April 2025: Shelby Janssen and Thomas Sweepe received the Outstanding Senior and Outstanding Teaching Assistant awards, respectively, from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at a College of Engineering-wide ceremony. Congratulations to both Shelby and Thomas on this well-deserved recognition.
✅ Funding Update — April 2025: Howard Yawit has been named one of the 2025 recipients of the Arizona Astrobiology Center Seed Grant. His project focuses on the electromagnetic characterization of tardigrades, as part of a larger goal to explore the origins of life in extreme conditions. Congratulations, Howard, on this well-deserved award.
April 2025: ANNLab had a strong presence at the 2025 MRS Spring Meeting & Exhibit in Seattle, Washington, from April 7–11, 2025. We delivered seven presentations, including four talks and three posters by our postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate researchers. Details of the studies are available on the meeting profile page.
March 2025: Prof. Zafer Mutlu presented an invited talk titled “Atomically Precise Graphene Nanoribbons as Next-Generation Channel Materials for Transistor Scaling Beyond Silicon Limits” at the 22nd IEEE Workshop on Microelectronic and Electron Devices (WMED 2025), held on March 28, 2025, at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho.
🏅 Award Update — February 2025: Prof. Zafer Mutlu has been selected as a 2025 Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing Fellow (CSM Fellow ’25). Prof. Mutlu will contribute to the center’s efforts in semiconductor research, education, and workforce development at the University of Arizona.
February 2025: Julian Battaglia and Thomas Sweepe presented their research on the characterization of the semiconducting properties of chalcopyrite and on atomically precise graphene nanoribbon transistors, respectively, at the MSE Graduate Student Seminar at the University of Arizona.
January 2025: Michael Rafko joined IBM as a Back-End Developer Intern. As the first computer science undergraduate in ANNLab, he set a high bar. Congratulations, Michael, and best wishes for the road ahead.
January 2025: Howard Yawit gave an excellent presentation at the NewFoS Center Stakeholder Meeting on the design of topological acoustic wave devices for advanced RF technologies. More details about the meeting and the presentation are on the NewFoS Stakeholder Meeting page.
January 2025: We joined our first NewFoS Center Stakeholder Meeting, which brought together Co-PIs, industry members, and students. ANNLab presented its work, with Howard Yawit delivering an insightful brief talk and a beautifully crafted poster presentation on our recent results in designing topological acoustic wave devices for advanced RF technologies. Thanks to all the NewFoS personnel for organizing such a great event.
✅ Funding Update — December 2024: ANNLab has been awarded a user program grant by the Molecular Foundry, a U.S. Department of Energy user facility at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The grant provides one year of no-fee access to state-of-the-art facilities at the Foundry. The project focuses on developing atomic layer deposition techniques on graphene nanoribbons for doping and performance enhancement. Dr. Adam Schwartzberg is our host scientist.
November 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu attended the Microelectronics Commons Annual Meeting and National Semiconductor Technology Center Symposium in Washington, D.C., where he reconnected with many inspiring leaders in the semiconductor field, especially Prof. Tsu-Jae King Liu, with whom he interacted during his postdoctoral studies at UC Berkeley, and Prof. Mark S. Lundstrom of Purdue University, whose transistor lectures have taught so many of us.
October 2024: Howard Yawit and Muhammed Yusufoglu presented their research on topological acoustic wave RF devices and atomically precise graphene nanoribbon transistors, respectively, at the MSE Graduate Student Seminar at the University of Arizona.
October 2024: We visited Intel’s Gordon Moore Park campus in Hillsboro, Oregon, for the second Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) LMD Annual Review. It was great to share our latest results, receive valuable feedback, and see the work happening within the SRC community. Thanks to Intel’s Novel Devices and Memory Research team for hosting us and meeting with ANNLab to discuss the future of semiconductors and explore new opportunities together.
September 2024: Shelby Janssen, an undergraduate researcher in Materials Science and Engineering, presented her research on the long-term stability of graphene nanoribbon transistors at the SRC TECHCON 2024 Conference in Austin, Texas.
🏅 Award Update — August 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu was selected as a Craig M. Berge Faculty Fellow by the University of Arizona College of Engineering, in recognition of his contributions to research, education, and innovation.
August 2024: Muhammed Yusufoglu presented our recent work on the stability and reliability of graphene nanoribbon transistors at the Molecular Foundry Annual User Meeting at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California. His presentation was part of the session “Next-Generation Quantum Materials for Quantum Computing, Sensing, and Microelectronic Devices.”
August 2024: Howard Yawit presented our recent work on the design, fabrication, and characterization of topological acoustic wave devices at the Molecular Foundry Annual User Meeting at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California. His presentation was part of the session “Next-Generation Quantum Materials for Quantum Computing, Sensing, and Microelectronic Devices.”
August 2024: Muhammed Yusufoglu, Howard Yawit, and Dr. Kentaro Yumigeta visited Prof. Michael Crommie’s research group at UC Berkeley during their trip to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for the Molecular Foundry Annual User Meeting. Prof. Crommie, a long-standing collaborator, hosted the team for discussions and lab engagement.
July 2024: Muhammed Yusufoglu and Dr. Kentaro Yumigeta attended SEMICON West 2024, a leading microelectronics industry event, in San Francisco, California.
June 2024: ANNLab participated in a successful NSF site visit as part of the New Frontiers of Sound Science and Technology Center. The meeting brought together center members from across the country to discuss research progress and upcoming plans.
June 2024: ANNLab had a strong presence at TechConnect World 2024 in Washington, D.C., with participation by Muhammed Yusufoglu, Dr. Kentaro Yumigeta, Howard Yawit, and Richard Holloway. Travel support for the event was provided by the Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing.
June 2024: Christina Dinh was featured in a sponsored Harvard Business Review article highlighting efforts by the University of Arizona and other state universities to address the semiconductor workforce gap.
🏅 Award Update — May 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu received the Excellence at the Student Interface Award (Most Supportive Junior Faculty) from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He extends his thanks to the students who voted and to both the department and the College of Engineering for this meaningful recognition.
May 2024: Thomas Sweepe joined TSMC’s new fabrication facility in Phoenix as a summer intern. He is the first ANNLab student, and potentially the first from the University of Arizona, to take part in an internship with TSMC. We wish him success in this valuable industry experience.
🏅 Award Update — May 2024: Muhammed Yusufoglu, the first Ph.D. student in ANNLab, was awarded the Brian Joseph Coppa Graduate Student Endowment Award in recognition of his contributions to the field of semiconductors and microelectronics. We extend our thanks to the College of Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering for this meaningful recognition.
🎓 Graduation Update — May 2024: Christian Copic graduated with a master’s degree from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Arizona. Since joining ANNLab in January 2023, he contributed to two key projects involving the semiconducting properties of chalcopyrite and the electronic behavior of graphene nanoribbon transistors. Christian joined Microsoft as a Silicon Engineer, and we extend our best wishes for his continued success.
🎓 Graduation Update — May 2024: Christina Dinh, the first student to join ANNLab, successfully defended her master’s thesis, “Contact Engineering and Reliability of Atomically Precise Graphene Nanoribbon Transistors.” Christina made significant contributions to ANNLab’s research. She joined NXP Semiconductors, and we wish her continued success in her professional career.
🏅 Award Update — April 2024: Christina Dinh received the Outstanding Graduate Student Award from the University of Arizona College of Engineering in recognition of her academic excellence and research contributions.
🏅 Award Update — April 2024: Julian Battaglia was awarded first place in the 22nd Annual Arizona Materials Bowl Capstone Project and Poster Competition for our work on graphene nanoribbon transistors. He brought home the “Most Wanted” Territorial Materials Trophy. Congratulations to Julian and the team on this well-earned recognition.
April 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu received a courtesy appointment as Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Arizona.
April 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu received a courtesy appointment as Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Arizona.
March 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu delivered an invited seminar talk in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Texas at Dallas.
🏅 Award Update — February 2024: Christina Dinh and Muhammed Yusufoglu received second- and third-place awards, respectively, for their poster presentations on graphene nanoribbon transistors at the FUSENANO 2024 Workshop. Award recipients were selected by votes from over 150 participants representing both the semiconductor industry and academia.
February 2024: University of Arizona News published an article highlighting the FUSENANO 2024 Workshop organized by Prof. Zafer Mutlu. Read the article.
February 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu organized the Molecules to Systems: The Future of Semiconductors with 1D & 2D Nanomaterials (FUSENANO 2024) Workshop in Tucson, Arizona. The event brought together over 25 invited speakers and panelists from leading academic institutions, national laboratories, funding agencies, industry, and nonprofit scientific organizations. With more than 150 participants, the workshop featured technical talks and panel discussions focused on emerging trends and future directions in semiconductor science and technology.
February 2024: ANNLab successfully demonstrated the fabrication of its first surface acoustic wave (SAW) delay line, featuring two interdigital transducers (IDTs) patterned on a piezoelectric substrate. The work was completed at the Optical Sciences Micro/Nano Fabrication Cleanroom at the University of Arizona. Special recognition goes to Howard Yawit for his key contributions to this achievement.
🏅 Award Update — January 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu was selected as a 2024 Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing Fellow (CSM Fellow ’24). In this role, he will contribute to advancing semiconductor research, education, and workforce development at the University of Arizona.
December 2023: Prof. Zafer Mutlu attended the 2023 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), a TSMC mini workshop, and the UC Berkeley Alumni Night in San Francisco, California. During the events, he reconnected with colleagues and mentors, including Prof. Chenming Hu, a pioneer in FinFET transistor technology and a former colleague from the EECS Department at UC Berkeley.
🏅 Award Update — December 2023: Our article “Contact Engineering for Graphene Nanoribbon Devices” was selected as a Featured Article by Applied Physics Reviews and highlighted on the journal’s website.
🏅 Award Update — December 2023: Prof. Zafer Mutlu was selected as a recipient of the George H. Davis Travel Fellowship, established in 2009 by the University of Arizona Foundation. The fellowship supports travel to leading national or international conferences for professional development and academic engagement.
November 2023: Christina Dinh was featured in a University of Arizona News article highlighting a $35.5 million grant awarded to the College of Engineering, with a significant portion dedicated to upgrading the Micro/Nano Fabrication Center.
November 2023: Prof. Zafer Mutlu delivered an invited talk and chaired a session at the 2023 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit in Boston, Massachusetts.
October 2023: Prof. Zafer Mutlu delivered an invited talk on graphene nanoribbon transistors to the Advanced Device Research group at Intel Corporation, Components Research.
October 2023: Prof. Zafer Mutlu, along with four ANNLab members, participated in the first Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) LMD Annual Review in Albany, New York. The team presented recent results, engaged with feedback from the SRC community, and toured the Albany NanoTech Complex, including an in-depth look at ASML’s state-of-the-art EUV lithography tool.
October 2023: Prof. Zafer Mutlu delivered an invited seminar talk in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Arizona.
✅ Funding Update — September 2023: Prof. Zafer Mutlu joined the newly established $30 million NSF Science and Technology Center for New Frontiers of Sound (NewFoS) as senior personnel, with a project focused on the development and characterization of novel topological acoustic (TA) wave devices using advanced high-throughput nano- and micro-fabrication techniques to support next-generation radio frequency (RF) and sensing technologies.
September 2023: Prof. Zafer Mutlu delivered an invited colloquium talk in the Department of Physics at the University of Arizona.
September 2023: Christina Dinh presented our research on contact engineering of graphene nanoribbon transistors at the SRC TECHCON 2023 Conference in Austin, Texas.
✅ Funding Update — August 2023: Prof. Zafer Mutlu, as Co-Principal Investigator, received a research grant from Freeport-McMoRan for the project “Connecting the Leachability of Chalcopyrite to its Mineral Characteristics.” The project aims to enhance understanding of mineral behavior to improve copper extraction processes.
✅ Funding Update — May 2023: Prof. Zafer Mutlu, as Principal Investigator, was awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Future of Semiconductors (FuSe) Program for the project “FuSe-TG: Atomically Precise Graphene Nanoribbon-Based Transistors: Materials, Devices, Circuits, and Systems.” This award marks Prof. Mutlu’s first NSF-funded project at the University of Arizona.
May 2023: ANNLab successfully demonstrated the fabrication of its first nanoFET devices with channel lengths as small as 30 nm. The work was carried out at the Optical Sciences Micro/Nano Fabrication Cleanroom and the Nano Fabrication Core Facility at the University of Arizona. Christina Dinh and Thomas Sweepe contributed significantly to this milestone.
✅ Funding Update — January 2023: Prof. Zafer Mutlu, as Principal Investigator, received his first research grant at the University of Arizona from the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC). The funded project, “Smarter Nanoelectronics with Atomically Precise Graphene Nanoribbons,” focuses on advancing materials and device technologies for next-generation nanoelectronics.
January 2023: Christina Dinh, a student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Arizona, joined ANNLab as its first student. We welcome Christina and look forward to her contributions to our research.
December 2022: Prof. Zafer Mutlu attended the 2022 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) in San Francisco, California. During the event, he reconnected with his postdoctoral advisor, Prof. Jeffrey Bokor (UC Berkeley), whose mentorship has been instrumental in Prof. Mutlu’s academic and professional development.
August 2022: Prof. Zafer Mutlu joined the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Arizona as an Assistant Professor. Read the College of Engineering’s official announcement.
