Andrew B. Wittkower
Andrew B. Wittkower | |
|---|---|
| Born | Andrew Benedict Wittkower November 7, 1934 London, England |
| Died | March 14, 2026 (aged 91) Rockport, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Alma mater | McGill University University of Cambridge University College London |
| Occupation | Physicist |
| Spouse |
Mary Shotter
(m. 1957; died. 2020) |
Andrew Benedict Wittkower (November 7, 1934 – March 14, 2026) was a British-born Canadian-American physicist and technology executive known for his contributions to ion implantation technology and the semiconductor industry.
Early life and education
Wittkower was born in London on November 7, 1934, the son of Eric David Wittkower and Claire Francesca Weil. In 1951, he and his family emigrated to Canada, settling in Montreal, Quebec.[1]
He attended McGill University, earning his BS degree in 1955. He also attended the University of Cambridge, earning his MS degree in 1959. In the same year, he emigrated to the United States, but returned and attended the University College London, earning his PhD degree in atomic collision physics in 1961.[2] While attending at London, in 1960, he was elected as a fellow of the American Physical Society.[3]
Career
Wittkower began his career as a research scientist at High Voltage Engineering Corporation until 1970. It was here he conducted research on ion sources and charge-changing collisions in Particle accelerators and published more than 100 scientific papers.[1] After working at High Voltage, he served as co-founder of Extrion Corporation, which developed one of the first production ion implanters for Semiconductormanufacturing.[4] Wittkower then co-founded Nova Associates starting in 1978 to develop advanced Ion implantation systems.[5]
During the 1980s, Wittkower co-authored peer-reviewed studies on ion implantation systems and semiconductor processing equipment.[6]
He then served as co-founder Ibis Technology from 1986 to 1991. He was then president of Soitec from 1992 to 2005.[5] During this period, he contributed to research on SOI technology, including co-authoring a 2000 SPIE paper on non-destructive optical measurement of semiconductor layer thicknesses.[7]
Wittkower also co-authored a 1970 article in Scientific American on tandem Van de Graaff accelerators, describing their design and applications in nuclear physics research.[8]
Honors and recognition
Wittkower received the SEMI Award for North America in 1986, together with Roger Bastide and Peter Rose, for contributions to ion implantation systems in semiconductor process equipment.[9]
He was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society and, in 2001, was named a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, "for contributions and leadership in the development and advancement of ion implantation techniques, equipment and companies".[10] He was later recognized as a Life Fellow of the IEEE.[11]
Personal life and death
In 1957, Wittkower married Mary Shotter,[12] a World War II codebreaker.[13] Their marriage lasted until her death in 2020.[14]
Wittkower died at his home in Rockport, Massachusetts on March 14, 2026, at the age of 91.[15]
Publications
- Wittkower, Andrew B. Snippets from my Life as it Was. CreateSpace, 2010.
- Rose, Peter H.; Wittkower, Andrew B. "Tandem Van de Graaff Accelerators." Scientific American, 1970.
References
- ^ a b "Andrew B. Wittkower Obituary | 1934 - 2026 | Gloucester Times". obituaries.gloucestertimes.com. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
- ^ Biography and Genealogy Master Index, Gale Research Company, 2000
- ^ "APS Fellow Archive". American Physical Society. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ^ Wittkower, Andrew; Ryding, Geoffrey (1981). "Peter H. Rose - Father of lon Implantation: The Early Years".
- ^ a b "Ion Implantation Equipment | Axcelis | About Us". Axcelis. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
- ^ "Ion implantation systems research". Nuclear Instruments and Methods.
- ^ "Measuring thicknesses of native oxide, crystalline silicon and buried oxide layers and interface roughnesses of SOI". Proceedings of SPIE. 2000.
- ^ "Tandem Van de Graaff Accelerators". Scientific American. 1970.
- ^ "SEMI Award Recipients". Retrieved March 24, 2026.
- ^ "Andrew Wittkower". IEEE Fellows Directory. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ^ "Andrew Wittkower obituary". Gloucester Times. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
- ^ "Wittkower--Shotter". The Gazette. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. August 22, 1957. p. 17. Retrieved March 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Carlton, Ken (July 12, 2020). "Remembering Folly Cove". Food For Marriage. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ^ "Mary N. Wittkower". Greely Funeral Home. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ^ "Andrew B. Wittkower". Greely Funeral Home. Retrieved March 17, 2026.