This special symposium honors the extraordinary career of Professor Gary Rubloff and his lasting impact on integrated semiconductor processing, surface science, and thin-film materials synthesis. Throughout his career, Prof. Rubloff pioneered the use of standard semiconductor equipment, surface-science fundamentals, and thin-film synthesis & processing to enable technologies with applications spanning semiconductor manufacturing, biomaterials, and vapor-phase thin-film synthesis. His work has culminated in recent advances in thin-film ionic materials, helping define new paradigms at the nexus of electrochemistry and microelectronics, grounded in surface science. The symposium highlights the historical and broad connections between seemingly disparate research areas that are unified through Prof. Rubloff’s ingenuity, leadership, and passion. Contributions will span fundamental thin-film synthesis and processes that leverage established semiconductor design rules and toolsets toward emerging applications in biological, ceramic, and iontronic materials systems.
GWR-MoM: From Ionic Crystals to Ionic Conductivity: A Special Celebration of Gary W. Rubloff’s 50+ Years in Science
- Mariano Anderle, Italian Society for Science and Technology, CNR-ISTP (Institute for Plasma, Science and Technology), Milan, Italy, “Doing Science with Gary: Accuracy, Elegance and Pleasure”
- Alain Diebold, CNSE, University at Albany, “Advancing New Semiconductor Materials and Devices Through Characterization and Metrology”
- Daniela R. Fontecha, University of Maryland College Park, “Operando Electrochemical Phase Engineering Platform for Nanocomposite Thin Films”
- Reza Ghodssi, University of Maryland College Park, “Materials, Technologies, and Systems Integration: How Gary Rubloff Inspired Me to Be a Better Microsystem Researcher”
- Theodosia Gougousi, UMBC, “Hidden Chemistry and Unexpected Pathways in Atomic Layer Deposition”
- Xiaolong Luo, Catholic University of America, “Biofabrication in Microfluidics for Biological and Fuel Cell Challenges: Inspired by Gary’s Innovation Path”
- David Stewart, University of Maryland, College Park, “From Stress Gradients to Reaction Fronts: Physics-Based Modeling for Next-Generation Ionic Devices”
- Alec Talin, Sandia National Lab, “Recent Advances in Electrochemical Memory”
GWR-MoA: From Ionic Crystals to Ionic Conductivity: A Special Celebration of Gary W. Rubloff’s 50+ Years in Science II