A paper by researcher Sung-Ho Park from Professor Jong-Ho Lee’s research team in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of Seoul National University has been selected as the cover article for the November 2026 issue (issue 61) of Advanced Science (IF: 14.1), a world-renowned scientific journal. This research proposes a novel Triple-Level Content-Addressable Memory (TLCAM) architecture that directly compares the stored data with input data in parallel inside the memory, utilizing eight data states per cell of the commercial three-dimensional NAND flash memory. Compared to the sequential read approach of the conventional NAND flash memory, it increases the read throughput by up to 24 times and reduces the read energy for searching by approximately 98%. As three-dimensional NAND flash memory is a representative nonvolatile memory with high integration density and solid commercial viability, this research is expected to significantly contribute to the advancement of high-performance memory-centric computing technologies for accelerating large-scale data searches and enabling low-power artificial intelligence computation. Paper Title: Triple-Level Content-Addressable Vertical NAND Flash Memory (https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.77390) Source: https://ece.snu.ac.kr/ece/news?md=v&bbsidx=58028 Translated by: JungHwan Kim, English Editor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, onzdavid@snu.ac.kr...

(From left) Professor Hak-Rin Kim of Kyungpook National University, Yong-Kuk Yoon, Head of Optronics Korea Business at Merck, and Professor Soo-Yeon Lee of Seoul National University. Professor Soo-Yeon Lee received the Merck Young Scientist Award at the 2026 Merck Awards. The Merck Awards started as a technical paper award established at the International Meeting on Information Display (IMID) in 2004 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Merck’s liquid crystal research and to recognize outstanding scientific achievements in display technologies. In 2006, the awards were expanded to include the Merck Young Scientist Award. Professor Lee, this year’s recipient of the Merck Young Scientist Award, has contributed to the advancement of next generation display and semiconductor technologies through her research on oxide thin film transistor (TFT) devices and related circuit technologies. She has identified the mechanism of the optical reliability and instability of oxide TFTs, developed a novel device structure to suppress the short channel effect, and developed device-degradation modeling along with panel compensation technologies. She has also conducted research on ultra-high-resolution, low-power display driving technologies through the design of OLED and micro-LED pixel circuits. More recently, she has expanded her research into low-power synaptic devices and neuromorphic systems by utilizing the low off-current and multi-level operating characteristics of oxide semiconductors. Professor Lee stated, “This award is a joyful recognition of my efforts so far and a great encouragement to go even further. By gaining a deep understanding of devices and connecting that knowledge to circuits and systems, I hope to produce outcomes that are both academically meaningful and practically useful.” Source: https://ece.snu.ac.kr/ece/news?md=v&bbsidx=58010 Translated by: JungHwan Kim, English Editor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, onzdavid@snu.ac.kr...

2026년 8월 28일, 2025학년도 후기(제80회) 전기·정보공학부 졸업행사를 열고 박사 61명, 석사 20명, 학사 63명에게 학위를 수여하였다. 대표자 학위수여 및 대학원 우수논문상 상패 전달, 최우등 졸업자 상장수여를하였고, 김성철 교수가 졸업생들의 밝은 미래를 위해 축하와 격려의 메시지를 전달하였다. 특히 이번 행사에서는 졸업생과 재학생이 함께 졸업생들의 재학중의 추억사진으로 만든 동영상과 함께 졸업축가 노래를 부르며 행사를 마무리하였다....

▲ (From left) Professor Woo Young Choi and Ph.D. student Jin Ho Chang ▲ Samsung Electronics Industry-Academia Cooperation Paper Awards Jin Ho Chang, a Ph.D. student in the Three-Dimensional Integration & Device Lab (TIDL) led by Professor Woo Young Choi, received the Excellence Award at the Samsung Electronics Industry-Academia Cooperation Paper Awards, hosted by Samsung Electronics on August 19. The award-winning paper, titled “Large-Scale and Highly Reliable Hopfield Neural Networks Using Vertical NAND Flash Memory for In-Memory Associative Computing,” presents a large-scale, highly reliable Hopfield neural network based on vertical NAND flash memory and demonstrates its application to in-memory associative computing. The research was also published as the front cover article in the April 2026 issue of Advanced Intelligent Systems. Source: https://ece.snu.ac.kr/ece/news?md=v&bbsidx=58000 Translated by: Changhoon Kang, English Editor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, changhoon27@snu.ac.kr...

Seungwan Jeung, an M.S.-Ph.D. integrated candidate from the Semiconductor package Module EE Technology Lab (Advisor: Professor Sang Won Yoon), and Dong Beom Seo, an M.S.-Ph.D. integrated candidate from the Laboratory of Emerging Electronics & optoElectronics (Advisor: Professor Chul-Ho Lee) in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seoul National University, won the Outstanding Presentation Award and the Outstanding Poster Award, respectively, at the 2026 Asia-Pacific Workshop on Advanced Semiconductor Devices (AWAD 2026). The event was held at the Asti Hotel in Busan from July 12th to 14th. Jeung gave a presentation titled, “Simulation Analysis of Triple-Point Electric-Field Concentration and Mitigation via Localized Coating in High-Voltage SiC Power Modules.” In this study, 3D electrostatic simulations were utilized to analyze the electric field concentration phenomenon occurring at the triple point—where the metal layer, ceramic, and insulating material meet—within high-voltage SiC power modules. Additionally, a localized coating was applied to the areas where the electric field concentrates, and the field mitigation effect was confirmed by comparing the electric field distribution before and after the coating. This research is highly significant as it proposes a practical design direction to mitigate the risks of partial discharge and insulation degradation, which increase with higher voltages, thereby improving the insulation reliability of high-voltage SiC power modules. Seo presented a poster titled, “Work Function Tunable Antimony Alloys for Pinning-free Contact in Two-dimensional Transistors.” Addressing the Fermi-level pinning problem at the metal-semiconductor junction—which is a critical bottleneck for 2D semiconductors, a promising next-generation material—he proposed a novel framework utilizing antimony alloy contacts. Through this approach, the research successfully reached the Schottky-Mott limit and realized high-gain inverters alongside world-class low-resistance contacts. This breakthrough is expected to be utilized in highly integrated CMOS logic based on 2D semiconductors in the future. AWAD, marking its 33rd anniversary this year, is an international workshop in the field of semiconductor devices and materials that has been held alternately in Korea and Japan since 1993. The workshop features a broad spectrum of the latest research achievements in the semiconductor field, ranging from fundamental semiconductor physics and new material research to device structures, manufacturing processes, simulations, integrated circuits, and advanced packaging technologies. Moreover, it has established itself as a premier venue for researchers from diverse fields to discuss the future direction and key research challenges of next-generation semiconductor technologies, fostering expanded academic exchange and cooperation across borders and disciplines. Source: https://ece.snu.ac.kr/ece/news?md=v&bbsidx=57966 Translated by: Changhoon Kang, English Editor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, changhoon27@snu.ac.kr ...

Developed world’s first wafer-integrated 6G Antenna: STARE ​Enabled simultaneous fabrication of antenna and RF switch using semiconductor processes ​Anticipated applications in satellite communications, 6G, and AI data centers ▲ (From left) Researchers Jinhyun Kim, Byeongjin Kim, Minkyu Park, Jeongtaek Oh and Professor Jungsuek Oh of the ECE Department at Seoul National University ▲ Concept diagram of the wafer-integrated 6G antenna, STARE, integrating antennas and RF switches on a semiconductor wafer. It illustrates various application areas, such as satellite communications and autonomous driving. ▲ Infographic comparing conventional variable elements for RIS with the SOD developed by the research team in terms of response speed, cost, and packaging method. SOD is advantageous for miniaturization and low-cost mass production due to its fast response and embedded structure. Simultaneous implementation of antenna and RF switch within a wafer ​A research team led by Professor Jungsuek Oh from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seoul National University’s College of Engineering has developed STARE, the world’s first wafer-integrated 6G beamforming antenna. This breakthrough technology simultaneously fabricates both the antenna and the RF semiconductor switch—which controls the propagation direction—on a single wafer. ​Previously, antennas and RF semiconductor switches had to be manufactured separately and undergo an additional assembly process. In contrast, STARE implements both functions within a single semiconductor process, reducing the burden of protruding parts and assembly, and laying the groundwork for cheaper mass production of 6G antennas. Transitioning from assembled RIS to a "semiconductor-integrated device" In 6G and satellite communications, a large number of antennas must swiftly and precisely direct radio waves toward users. To achieve this, Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS), which reflect or transmit radio waves in desired directions, are drawing attention as a core technology. ​However, conventional RIS relies on a method of attaching radio wave control components, such as liquid crystals or individual diodes, to the antenna one by one. As the number of antennas increased, so did the components, wiring, and assembly processes. This drove up manufacturing costs, posing an obstacle for their application in large-scale communication systems. STARE, developed by the research team, is not an assembled device where wave control components are attached to a completed antenna, but a "semiconductor-integrated device" where both the antenna and the RF semiconductor switch are created together within the wafer. The team established a design method that implements semiconductor devices and antennas—which were traditionally designed using completely different methods—into a single unified system. ​Furthermore, without using expensive through-wafer processes, they implemented a planar structure that transmits radio waves using the magnetic coupling that occurs between the structures on both sides of the wafer. This allows for the precise control of radio wave direction while maintaining a thin form factor with no protruding components. Proposing a universal manufacturing platform for 6G and satellite communications The significance of this research lies in the fact that it did not stop at developing a single antenna prototype; rather, it proposed a new manufacturing platform capable of fabricating active antennas, transmissive array antennas, and RIS in various shapes and arrays entirely through semiconductor processes. ​If further advanced with large-area wafers and more precise wave control technology in the future, it can be utilized in base stations, satellite antennas, and thin beam-steering panels that complement existing repeaters. Moreover, the scope of applications is expected to expand to systems performing joint communication and sensing, communication control for autonomous vehicles and low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites, and high-speed wireless connections inside AI data centers. ​Professor Oh stated, "This is highly significant in that the semiconductor switch and the antenna were designed and fabricated together on a single wafer from the very beginning." He added, "We will expand this to large-area wafers and precise phase control technology in the future, developing it into a universal 6G radio wave platform applicable to terrestrial and satellite communications, as well as industrial wireless systems." ​The results of this research were published in Nature Communications, an international academic journal, on July 1st. ​Meanwhile, this research was conducted with support from the Institute for Information & communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP) (2021-0-00763, Development of THz 6G Intelligent Antenna Element/Structure/Network Innovative Convergence Technology). [Reference] - Paper/Journal: STARE: a semiconductor-integrated transmit-array architecture for 6G beamforming, Nature Communications - DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-74911-2 [Contact] Professor Jungsuek Oh / jungsuek@snu.ac.kr Source: https://ece.snu.ac.kr/ece/news?md=v&bbsidx=57952 Translated by: Changhoon Kang, English Editor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, changhoon27@snu.ac.kr...

Ph.D. candidate Dam Yun (1st Author) from the Electric Energy Conversion Lab (Advisor: Professor Jung-Ik Ha) in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seoul National University has won the 2025 Second Place Prize Paper Award from the international academic journal, IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics (JESTPE). ​The award-winning paper is titled, "Flying Capacitor Multilevel Converter at Constant Resonant Frequency with Negative-Voltage-Blocking GaN Switch." ​This research focuses on low-voltage, high-current Intermediate Bus Converter (IBC) technology applied to 48V power systems in AI data centers. By utilizing a Resonant Flying Capacitor Multilevel (RFCML) structure, the converter steps down 48V to 12V. The study proposes a method to achieve higher power density and efficiency compared to conventional methods by lowering the peak inductor current. ​IEEE JESTPE is a prestigious academic journal in the field of power electronics, jointly published by the IEEE Industry Applications Society (IAS) and the IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS). Source: https://ece.snu.ac.kr/ece/news?md=v&bbsidx=57959 Translated by: Changhoon Kang, English Editor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, changhoon27@snu.ac.kr...

M.S. candidate Joohyoung Ko—from the Electric Energy Conversion Lab (Advisor: Professor Jung-Ik Ha)—won the Best Poster Award at the 27th IEEE Workshop on Control and Modeling for Power Electronics (COMPEL 2026), held in Cambridge, UK from July 20th to 23rd. The paper, titled "A Highly Integrated 6:1 Switched-Capacitor Converter with Minimized Components and IC Pins for Mobile Applications," covers research on a novel 6:1 switched-capacitor converter topology that reduces the number of components and improves mountability for implementation in mobile devices. ​COMPEL, held annually, is a prestigious international conference sponsored by the IEEE that focuses on control, modeling, circuit analysis, and simulation technologies in the field of power electronics. Source: https://ece.snu.ac.kr/ece/news?md=v&bbsidx=57935 Translated by: Changhoon Kang, English Editor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, changhoon27@snu.ac.kr...