This year’s Welker Award was conferred at the 37th International Symposium on Compound Semiconductors – ISCS – in Takamatsu, Japan. The prize inaugurated in 1976 and sponsored by OSRAM is awarded for exceptional research conducted in the field of compound semiconductors. This year, the award goes to Pallab K. Bhattacharya, professor at the University of Michigan, for his pioneering work on photonic devices, which are based on III-V compound semiconductors.

With more than 500 publications in the course of his long career Professor Bhattacharya has gained valuable insights in the fields of electronics and optoelectronics.

Outstanding progress was particularly achieved for optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEIC), quantum dot lasers and infrared photodetectors based on his extensive expertise for semiconductors processing technology. Bhattacharya’s research accomplishments and his position as one of the most important opinion leaders in the field of III-V compound semiconductors are now acknowledged with the Welker Award.

OSRAM: promoter of semiconductor research

The prize, established by Siemens to honour the father of the III-V semiconductors, Heinrich Welker, was first awarded in 1976. OSRAM has sponsored this award for several years.

“For OSRAM as one of the leading manufacturers of optoelectronic components encouraging research in this field is especially important. The Welker Award is given to people who have achieved exceptional progress in the field of opto-semiconductors”, said Berit Wessler, in charge of the strategic technology cooperation at OSRAM, as she presented the award to Professor Bhattacharya.