Ghavam Shahidi
Ghavam G. Shahidi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1959 Iran |
| Occupation | Electrical engineer |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Known for | Pioneering contributions to silicon-on-insulator (SOI) CMOS technology |
Ghavam G. Shahidi (born 1959) is an Iranian-American electrical engineer and an IBM Fellow, currently holding the position of director of Silicon Technology at the IBM Thomas J Watson Research Center. He is widely recognized for his pioneering contributions to silicon-on-insulator (SOI) complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) technology dating back to the late 1980s.
Career
Shahidi completed his doctorate in electrical engineering at MIT, where he researched "velocity overshoot in deeply scaled MOSFETs" under the mentorship of Professor Dimitri A. Antoniadis. In 1986, he co-developed a 60 nanometer silicon MOSFET utilizing X-ray lithography, marking a significant step forward in submicron transistor fabrication.
Upon joining IBM Research in 1989, Shahidi spearheaded IBM’s SOI CMOS technology initiatives through the SOI Research Program at the IBM Thomas J Watson Research Center. As the principal architect, he led advancements in high-performance CMOS and SOI technologies, with support from IBM executive Bijan Davari. Shahidi played a key role in transforming SOI CMOS from theoretical concepts into scalable manufacturing processes, overcoming early obstacles related to production, modeling, and reliability.
In the early 1990s, he introduced an innovative technique combining silicon epitaxial overgrowth with chemical mechanical polishing to create device-grade SOI substrates, facilitating IBM’s expansion in SOI research. He validated the power-delay benefits of SOI CMOS compared to bulk CMOS in microprocessor applications and enhanced both the quality and cost-effectiveness of SOI substrates for large-scale manufacturing.
The first commercial deployment of SOI technology occurred in 1995 after Shahidi persuaded IBM’s server division to implement it in AS/400 systems using 220 nm CMOS with copper interconnects. By 2001, he had developed low-power RF CMOS devices on SOI platforms that improved radio frequency performance. That same year, IBM prepared for the release of 130 nm CMOS SOI devices featuring copper metallization and low-κ dielectrics based on his research contributions.
Under Shahidi’s guidance, several qualified CMOS SOI technologies were transitioned into production, alongside establishing design frameworks that supported widespread adoption of SOI. He served as director of high-performance logic development at IBM Microelectronics until 2003 before returning to the Watson Research Center as Director of Silicon Technology.
During the early 2000s, Shahidi led IBM’s lithography research efforts, announcing plans for commercialization of immersion and X-ray lithography techniques while investigating approximately 20 novel semiconductor materials.
In recognition of his leadership in developing Silicon-On-Insulator CMOS technology, Shahidi received the IEEE J J Ebers Award in 2006. He remains active as director of Silicon Technology at the IBM Thomas J Watson Research Center.