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Dim-Lee Kwong, Influential Leader of Microelectronics R&D, To Receive 2011 IEEE Frederik Philips Award

Leadership has garnered worldwide recognition for Singapore Microelectronics Research Institute

23 November 2011 – Dim-Lee Kwong, a researcher turned executive whose vision, technical knowledge and leadership transformed the Singapore Institute of Microelectronics into a world-class research organization, is being honored by IEEE with the 2011 IEEE Frederik Philips Award. IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional association.

The award, sponsored by Philips Electronics NV, recognizes Dr. Kwong for leadership in silicon technology and excellence in the management of microelectronics R&D. The award will be presented on 6 December 2011 at the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Kwong’s success at the Singapore Institute of Microelectronics (IME), where he has served as executive director since 2005, is built on a foundation of over 28 years of his own important research contributions to microelectronics devices and technology. Combining his technical depth with the ability to balance strategic planning with operational management, in a short time Dr. Kwong has improved the quality and profile of IME’s programs in nanoelectronics, microelectromechanical systems, silicon photonics, bioelectronics and miniaturized medical devices. The strategic collaborative partnerships Dr. Kwong has developed with multinational companies have helped inject new knowledge into the microelectronics industry and maintain the Institute’s relevance.

Under Dr. Kwong’s leadership, IME has experienced a ten-fold increase in papers published in leading journals, quadrupled its number of industry-funded projects from top international companies and doubled the number of Ph.D. students from local universities who train at IME. Groundbreaking work on silicon-based nano-wire technology has also bolstered IME’s and Singapore’s role in developing emerging technologies.

IME’s Silicon Photonics Program is one example of the many programs successfully developed under Dr. Kwong’s leadership. Launched in 2006, within two years the program established a cost-effective silicon photonic technology platform offering a photonics-ready, cost-shared silicon foundry service. Providing application-specific prototypes, the platform has attracted international industry and university partners who want to prototype their products at IME, and some of the R&D results have already been transferred to Singapore manufacturers. 

To accelerate “More than Moore” industry development in Singapore, Dr. Kwong spearheaded, developed and implemented a three-party R&D foundry business model. IME provides industry with access to foundry-compatible processing, prototyping and small-scale pilot production capabilities. Working closely with wafer foundries and packaging houses in Singapore, the model provides a bridge to high-volume production and brings new manufacturers to Singapore’s semiconductor industry.

An IEEE Fellow, Dr. Kwong has co-authored more than 1000 research papers, supervised 55 Ph.D. students, and holds over 25 U.S. patents. Prior to joining IME, Dr. Kwong was Earl N. and Margaret Bransfield Endowed professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Kwong is currently the executive director of the Institute of Microelectronics, Singapore and a Professor at National University of Singapore.