Professor Byonghyo Shim has been elected as a regular member of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST). Membership in KAST is awarded through a rigorous three-stage evaluation process, recognizing individuals who have been active in the field of science and technology for over 20 years and have made significant contributions to its advancement. Professor Shim was honored for his groundbreaking work in millimeter-wave communication, including the development of beamforming technology, the commercialization of 5G mobile communications, and his pioneering role in ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC). In addition, Professor Shim was also named an IEEE Fellow for his contributions to the development of 4G/5G mobile communication antenna technologies and advancements in compressed sensing. IEEE is the world’s largest organization in the electrical and electronics field, with over 400,000 members across more than 160 countries. IEEE Fellow is a prestigious title awarded to less than 0.1% of its members following a stringent selection process. Related article link: https://m.sedaily.com/NewsViewAmp/2DHYR0L46H Source: https://ece.snu.ac.kr/ece/news?md=v&bbsidx=56074 Translated by: Dohyung Kim, English Editor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, kimdohyung@snu.ac.kr...

From left: Professor Jeonghoon Kwak(corresponding author), Jeehyun Jung, PhD candidate (co-first author) The College of Engineering at Seoul National University announced that Professor Jeonghoon Kwak's research team from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has developed a machine learning-based Design of Experiments (DOE) method for efficiently optimizing the performance and manufacturing conditions of organic thermoelectric devices. Organic thermoelectric devices convert low temperature waste heat, such as that generated by human skin or electronic devices, into electrical energy. This research conveys the first instance of utilizing machine learning in the field of organic thermoelectric devices. The newly developed experimental design method is being recognized as an innovative approach for effectively optimizing the performance of these devices, which was previously challenging due to the multitude of variables involved. The study was led by PhD candidates Jeehyun Jung and Sooyeon Park from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seoul National University. The findings were published on November 26 in the prestigious international journal Advanced Energy Materials (Impact Factor: 24.4), which focuses on energy and materials science. Organic thermoelectric devices are gaining attention as energy harvesting solutions for next-generation wearable devices due to their excellent mechanical flexibility, large-area manufacturability, and potential for mass production. They are also attracting interest in the field of temperature sensors. However, unlike conventional thermoelectric technologies that rely on crystalline inorganic materials to interconvert heat and electricity, organic thermoelectric devices utilize doped semicrystalline polymer thin films, making it challenging to find optimal performance conditions. The use of these polymer thin films creates complex interactions between manufacturing variables (such as doping concentration, film formation methods, and annealing temperature) and thermoelectric performance factors (such as electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient). As a result, optimizing the performance of organic thermoelectric devices has traditionally required significant time, effort, and iterative experimentation. To address this inefficiency, Professor Jeonghoon Kwak's research team introduced a machine learning-based Design of Experiments (DOE) methodology. The team began by identifying four key process variables affecting the performance of organic thermoelectric devices: spin speed, doping solution concentration, doping time, and annealing temperature. They then established four distinct conditions for each variable. Using traditional methods, this would have necessitated fabricating at least 256 (4 to the 4th power) thermoelectric devices to evaluate all possible combinations of process conditions. However, leveraging their AI-based experimental design method, the research team successfully reduced this number to just 16 (4 × 4). This streamlined approach enabled them to identify the significance of each process variable and determine the optimal conditions for enhancing device performance with remarkable efficiency. The machine learning-based Design of Experiments (DOE) method, which successfully predicts the optimal performance of organic thermoelectric devices while minimizing repetitive experiments, is expected to significantly contribute to improving device performance. Moreover, it provides valuable insights for the development of materials and processes. These advanced organic thermoelectric devices are anticipated to be widely used as power sources for wearable devices and small electronic gadgets. Jeehyun Jung, the first author of the paper, commented, "This research is a successful example of AI application, efficiently deriving optimal thermoelectric performance with minimal experiments using machine learning-based techniques. The results are particularly meaningful because they demonstrate a shift from traditional iterative experimentation to data-driven scientific design." Professor Jeonghoon Kwak, who supervized the research, stated, "The AI-based experimental design significantly reduced research time and costs while enabling a more systematic understanding of the high-dimensional interactions that were previously difficult to investigate." Currently leading the Advanced Opto & Nano Electronics Laboratoryat Seoul National University, Professor Kwak plans to continue researching the development of organic thermoelectric devices, as well as the fabrication processes and performance optimization of various electronic devices using organic semiconductors. Jeehyun Jung is also pursuing research to further enhance the performance of organic thermoelectric devices, focusing on fabrication processes and device designs essential for advancing clean energy technologies that utilize waste heat. Source: http://www.mediadale.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=224078 Translated by: Dohyung Kim, English Editor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, kimdohyung@snu.ac.kr...

Professor Wooyoung Choi's research team (Three-Dimensional Integration and Device Lab: TIDL) received the Outstanding Research Achievement Award at the PIM (Processing-in-Memory) AI semiconductor progress report session held on November 25 at the Wyndham Grand Hotel in Busan. This year’s selection for outstanding research achievements was based on performance data from the 2023 PIM AI Semiconductor Program and underwent both quantitative and qualitative evaluation by a panel of technical experts. The team received high praise for their highly refined research, which encompassed devices, processes, and manufacturing, centered on a charge-storage silicon device with proven commercial viability. The research results demonstrate that charge-storage transistors can move beyond its traditional role as a flash memory to perform various PIM operations, offering significant potential to open up new semiconductor markets. The project is supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT and involves collaborative research by teams from Seoul National University, the lead institution, and participating institutions Sogang University, Hanyang University, and the University of Seoul. Source: https://ece.snu.ac.kr/ece/news?md=v&bbsidx=56061 Translated by: Dohyung Kim, English Editor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, kimdohyung@snu.ac.kr...

From left: Professor Choi WooYoung, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University; Jinwook Lee, Geuntae Park, and Minjeong Ryu Ph.D. candidates. From left: Covers of the December 2024 and February 2025 issues of IEEE Electron Device Letters Two papers by the research team from the Three-Dimensional Integration & Device Lab (TIDL), led by Professor Wooyoung Choi, and authored by “Jinwook Lee, Geuntae Park, Myoungsoo Shin”, and “Minjeong Ryu, and Jaeseung Woo”, have been selected as the cover articles for the December 2024 and February 2025 issues of IEEE Electron Device Letters (EDL). Founded in 1980, EDL is one of the most influential academic journals worldwide, covering innovative and significant contributions to semiconductor devices, covering domains on theories, modeling, design, performance, and reliability. The specific contents of the two papers selected for the cover of the respective EDL issues are as follows: December 2024 issue [Jinwook Lee/Geuntae Park, co-first authors]: Proposes and implements a new torsional via structure for a nanoelectromechanical memory switch integrated onto a CMOS interconnect layer in a three dimensional fashion, achieving the world's highest reliability (funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT’s Next-Generation Intelligent Semiconductor Foundation). February 2025 issue [Minjeong Ryu, first author]: By leveraging local ferroelectric polarization transitions, a single transistor is utilized to implement the world’s first ternary-content-addressable memory that achieves high search accuracy and large-scale arrays (funded by the Samsung Science &Technology Foundation Program). Source: https://ece.snu.ac.kr/ece/news?md=v&bbsidx=56018 Translated by: Dohyung Kim, English Editor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, kimdohyung@snu.ac.kr ...

On Monday, November 11, 2024, Halmaehwae, a gathering for female students in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, took place. A total of 36 participants attended, including 23 female undergraduate students and 13 professors. The event provided an opportunity to discuss various concerns related to career paths and life as female engineers. Source: https://ece.snu.ac.kr/ece/news?md=v&bbsidx=56012 Translated by: Dohyung Kim, English Editor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, kimdohyung@snu.ac.kr ...

Seoul National University Applied Superconductivity Center Participates in the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) STEP Nuclear Fusion Project Based on the progress of the Ministry of Science and ICT-supported PRISM program, Seoul National University has signed a joint research agreement with UKAEA valued at 1 million pound. The collaboration will begin with the development of high-current, high-temperature superconducting cables and expand into research on high-temperature superconductor magnet systems for commercial fusion power plants. The College of Engineering at Seoul National University announced that the Applied Superconductivity Center, led by Professor Seungyong Hahn from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has officially joined the STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) nuclear fusion project led by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). STEP is a major British national project led by UKIFS (UK Industrial Fusion Solutions), a subsidiary of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), aiming to construct the world’s first commercial fusion power plant by 2040 (Figure 1). During Phase 1 (2019–2024) of the three-phase program, £220 million (approximately 390 billion KRW) has been allocated to develop the conceptual design of a fusion prototype power plant based on high-temperature superconducting magnets, to be built in Nottinghamshire West Burton. Seoul National University's Applied Superconductivity Center and UKAEA have signed a joint research agreement worth £1 million (approximately 1.7 billion KRW) running until March 2025. The collaboration will start with research on high-current, high-temperature superconducting cables and later expand to magnet system research (Figure 2). Fusion power, often described as harnessing an "artificial sun," is being researched globally for its potential as a sustainable and clean energy source for the future. The magnetic confinement method, which uses the strong magnetic fields of superconducting magnets to control plasma, has been adopted in projects such as South Korea’s KSTAR and the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), currently under construction by a coalition of 35 countries. However, the large size of magnets, exceeding 20 meters, and the immense construction costs, reaching tens of trillions of won, have delayed commercialization to beyond 2050. Recently, a breakthrough in no-insulation,high-temperature superconductor technology, first proposed by Professor Seungyong Han of Seoul National University's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has opened the door to the possibility of "compact fusion." This innovation reduces the size of superconducting magnets to less than one-fifth of their original size, dramatically cutting construction and operational costs. Over the past few years, this concept has attracted over 10 trillion KRW in private investment globally, leading to the creation of numerous startups and government-industrial partnerships.In July 2024, the South Korean government announced the "Fusion Energy Realization Acceleration Strategy," a 1.2 trillion KRW initiative to develop fusion technologies, including high-temperature superconducting magnet technology. STEP is anticipated to be a game-changer in this acceleration strategy, aiming to commercialize fusion power plants with capacities exceeding 100 MW—enough to supply electricity to over 200,000 4-people households—by the 2040s, significantly advancing the progress towards commercial fusion power deployment. The high-current, high-temperature superconducting cable under development in this joint research serves as a critical component for superconducting magnets, which are expected to account for approximately 30% of fusion reactor construction costs. This technology represents a crucial innovation for the miniaturization of fusion systems (Figure 3). The joint research builds on the progress made by the PRISM (Project for Research and Innovation in Superconducing Magnet, director: Sangjin Lee, Visiting Professor at SNU ECE) project, funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea under the Ministry of Science and ICT, and led by Seoul National University’s Applied Superconductivity Center. The effort is spearheaded by the Applied Superconductivity Center, with contributions from participating companies Powernix and Standard Magnet. Launched in 2022, the PRISM research group operates under the motto, "The nation as one laboratory, one university." Over five years, it is supported by a total budget of 46.4 billion KRW over 5 years, involving 27 industry-academia-research institutions and over 220 researchers. PRISM has systematically categorized the widely applicable high-temperature superconducting magnets into four forms and seven key technologies—the first such effort globally— and is actively developing diverse core foundational technologies with the goal of mass production and commercialization. Powernix (CEO Kwanghee Yoon), a small-medium-sized enterprise in the power systems sector, has collaborated with Seoul National University’s Applied Superconductivity Center through PRISM and have acquired a high-temperature superconducting cable manufacturing technology. Within just two years of the project’s inception, the company was designated as an official partner to supply test high-temperature superconducting cables for the high-temperature superconducting magnets, a crucial component of the STEP system. Standard Magnet (CEO Jaemin Kim) is a Seoul National University startup founded in June 2024, based on the outcomes of the PRISM research project. The company is actively participating in the development and application of various high-temperature superconducting magnets, with the goal of becoming a global corporation in the field of high-temperature superconducting magnet technology. Figure 1. Conceptual illustration of the STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) fusion reactor under development by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) (Source: https://step.ukaea.uk/) Figure 2. Components of the high-temperature superconducting magnet system for nuclear fusion: (1) Wires, (2) Cables, (3) Magnets, (4) Systems The UKAEA-Seoul National University joint research agreement will begin with cable development and expand to magnets and systems. (Sources: Wires – https://sunam2004.tradekorea.com/main.do; Cables – Provided by SNU; Magnets – K. J. Chung et al., Design and Fabrication of VEST at SNU, presented at 16th International Workshop on Spherical Torus, Sep. 27-30, 2011.; Systems – https://actu.epfl.ch/news/welcome-mast-upgrade-a-new-fusion-device/) Figure 3. High-temperature superconducting cable under development by the research team at Seoul National University's Applied Superconductivity Center for the STEP TF (Toroidal Field) magnet. [Broadcast Coverage] - SBS: "The UK Embarks on 'Fusion Acceleration,' Korea Provides Superconductor Technologies" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHP1mmeoJ0w) - YTN: "Will the UK’s 'Nuclear Fusion Dream' be realized with Seoul National University?" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBjb1rPbO8A) [Inquiries] Professor Seungyong Hahn Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University Phone: +82-2-880-1495 Email: hahnsy@snu.ac.kr Source: https://ece.snu.ac.kr/ece/news?md=v&bbsidx=56008 Translated by: Dohyung Kim, English Editor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, kimdohyung@snu.ac.kr ...

Professor Yongtaek Hong received the IEC 1906 Award at the 2024 World Standards Day ceremony held on October 15 at the International Conference Hall of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) annually presents the IEC 1906 Award to standardization experts worldwide who have made significant contributions to international standardization, commemorating its founding in 1906. This year, 12 Korean standardization experts were honored with the award. Press release date: October 14, 2024 Source: https://ece.snu.ac.kr/ece/news?md=v&bbsidx=56001 Translated by: Dohyung Kim, English Editor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, kimdohyung@snu.ac.kr...

• Professor Jaesang Lee’s research team, in collaboration with Samsung Electronics SAIT, announced that they have identified the key mechanism behind the performance degradation of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). • The team proposed the theoretical possibility of a crucial factor in severely reducing OLED performance, interfacial exciton-polaron quenching, and experimentally validated its existence. • The findings of this study were published on October 10 in the prestigious physics journal Physical Review X. Press release date: October 11, 2024 Source: https://ece.snu.ac.kr/ece/news?md=v&bbsidx=56000 Translated by: Dohyung Kim, English Editor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, kimdohyung@snu.ac.kr...