Paul K. Weimer
Encyclopedia
Dr. Paul K. Weimer was a noted contributor to the development of television
and the thin-film transistor
(TFT).
Dr. Weimer was born in Wabash, Indiana
. He received a B.A. in math and physics from Manchester College (Indiana) in 1936, an M.A. in physics from the University of Kansas
in 1938, and a PhD in physics from Ohio State University
in 1942. He then joined the RCA
laboratory in Princeton, New Jersey
, where he worked until retirement in 1981.
His first assignment was to develop an electron multiplier to go with the Image Orthicon. This tube, which proved to be 100 times more sensitive than its predecessors, was used for the first 20 years of television broadcasting in the United States. In 1960 Weimer began making thin-film transistor
s in a coplanar process on glass
substrates. In a typical process, he would deposit a gold source and drain, then deposit polycrystalline semiconductor material, and place a gate on top. After he placed an insulator between the gate and semiconductor, he got excellent results as published in his 1962 paper, "The TFT — A New Thin-Film Transistor", in the Proceedings of the IEEE.
Weimer held over 90 patents, and was a member of the National Academy of Engineering
and fellow of the Institute for Radio Engineers. He received the IRE Television Prize, the 1966 IEEE Morris N. Liebmann Memorial Award
, an individual RCA David Sarnoff Outstanding Achievement Award in Science, and the 1986 Kultur Preis of the German Photographic Society. He died in Princeton, New Jersey
, at age 90.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and the thin-film transistor
Thin-film transistor
A thin-film transistor is a special kind of field-effect transistor made by depositing thin films of a semiconductor active layer as well as the dielectric layer and metallic contacts over a supporting substrate. A common substrate is glass, since the primary application of TFTs is in liquid...
(TFT).
Dr. Weimer was born in Wabash, Indiana
Wabash, Indiana
Wabash is a city in Noble Township, Wabash County, Indiana, United States. The population was 10,666 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Wabash County....
. He received a B.A. in math and physics from Manchester College (Indiana) in 1936, an M.A. in physics from the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
in 1938, and a PhD in physics from Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
in 1942. He then joined the RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
laboratory in Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
, where he worked until retirement in 1981.
His first assignment was to develop an electron multiplier to go with the Image Orthicon. This tube, which proved to be 100 times more sensitive than its predecessors, was used for the first 20 years of television broadcasting in the United States. In 1960 Weimer began making thin-film transistor
Thin-film transistor
A thin-film transistor is a special kind of field-effect transistor made by depositing thin films of a semiconductor active layer as well as the dielectric layer and metallic contacts over a supporting substrate. A common substrate is glass, since the primary application of TFTs is in liquid...
s in a coplanar process on glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
substrates. In a typical process, he would deposit a gold source and drain, then deposit polycrystalline semiconductor material, and place a gate on top. After he placed an insulator between the gate and semiconductor, he got excellent results as published in his 1962 paper, "The TFT — A New Thin-Film Transistor", in the Proceedings of the IEEE.
Weimer held over 90 patents, and was a member of the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
and fellow of the Institute for Radio Engineers. He received the IRE Television Prize, the 1966 IEEE Morris N. Liebmann Memorial Award
IEEE Morris N. Liebmann Memorial Award
The initially called Morris Liebmann Memorial Prize provided by the Institute of Radio Engineers , the IEEE Morris N. Liebmann Memorial Award was created in 1919 in honor of Colonel Morris N. Liebmann. It was initially given to awardees who had "made public during the recent past an important...
, an individual RCA David Sarnoff Outstanding Achievement Award in Science, and the 1986 Kultur Preis of the German Photographic Society. He died in Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
, at age 90.