Faculty & Staff

Honors & Awards

- Lew Allen Award for Excellence (2004), JPL: 

Recognized for his excellence in    advancing the use of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems–based actuators for space applications.   Developed several significant areas of research in MEMS-based actuators for space applications, utilizing MEMS actuators for the development of high-pressure, low leak-rate microvalves, continuous membrane deformable mirrors and inchworm devices for segmented mirror assembly and control for large aperture, space-based telescopes.

- NASA ICB Space Act Award (2005), JPL
- Level C Award (2003), JPL
- NASA ICB Space Act Award (2003), JPL
- Level B Award (2001), JPL
- Class 1 NASA Tech Brief Awards (2001-Present), JPL   (31 awards)
- Research Fellowship of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (1996-1998), The University of Tokyo, Japan
- Scholarship: B.S, M.S and Ph.D courses (1986-1995), Ajou University, Korea
- Summa Cum Laude Honor (1990), Ajou University, Korea

Funded Projects

Principal Investigator: Total funding exceeding 4 million dollars was raised during 2000~2005 period
- JPL Research and Technology Development
- JPL Spontaneous Concepts, Director's Research and Development Fund
- National Reconnaissance Office, Director’s Innovation Initiatives
- Reimbursable
- JPL Director's Research and Development Fund
- NASA Code R Enabling Concepts and Technologies (ECT) Program,
- NASA Gossamer Space Telescope Technology NRA 
- NASA Cross Enterprise Technology Development Program 
Co-Investigator
- DARPA TTO, Large Aperture Space Surveillance (Optical) (LASSO) Phase I, BAA04-36
- NASA NRA, Astrobiology Science and Technology Instrument Development,  Bio/nano Technology Program
- JPL Spontaneous Concepts, Director's Research and Development Fund
- Caltech President Funding
- Hughes Space and Communications Company
- JPL Technology Development Agreement


U. S. Patents

1.     E.H. Yang and D. Wiberg, “A Wafer-Level Transfer of Membranes in Semiconductor Processing,” US 6,777,312 B2  US Patent
2.     E.H. Yang, L. Wild, N. Rohatgi and D. Bame, “A Piezoelectric Microvalve under Ultra-High Upstream Pressure for Integrated Micropropulsion and Method for Operating the Same”, CIT-3889, US Patent Pending, 10/853,072.
3.     E.H. Yang, “Wafer Level Transfer of Membranes with Gas-Phase Etching and Wet Etching Methods,” CIT-3325, US Patent Pending, 10/678,359.
4.     W. Fink, E.H. Yang, C. Lee, M. Humayun, and G. Y. Fujii, “Wireless Intraocular Pressure Sensor (WIPS),” CIT-3783, US Patent US 7,131,945 B2.
5.     E.H. Yang, “A PZT Bimorph based, High Stroke MEMS Deformable Mirror with a Continuous Membrane for Active Optical Systems” CIT-3475, US Patent Pending, 10/474,978.

Experience

- Associate Professor: Stevens Institute of Technology: Aug. 2006 – Present.

• Nano and micro technologies for nanoelectronics and biomedical applications: 2006~Present

- Senior Member of Engineering Staff, Task Manager: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Oct. 2002 – Aug. 2006.

• Inchworm microactuator (Sponsors: National Reconnaissance Office,  Spontaneous Concept Research and Technology Development, Research and Technology Development, National Reconnaissance Office Director’s Innovation Initiatives): 2002~2006
• MEMS Adaptive optics (Sponsors: Center for Adaptive Optics, Xinetics, Inc., JPL Director’s Research and  Development Fund, Spontaneous Concept Research and Technology Development, DARPA/LASSO, Phase I,): 2001~2006
• Piezoelectric microvalve (NASA Code R Enabling Technology Thrust for 2 years): 2002~2004
• Actuated membrane development (Sponsors: National Reconnaissance Office Director’s Innovation Initiatives): 2003~2004
• Intra Ocular Pressure (IOP) sensor (JPL Spontaneous Concept Research and Technology Development, Caltech President Funding): 2003

- Member of Engineering Staff, Task Manager: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory: March 2001 – Sept. 2002

• MEMS microvalve development (NASA Code R Cross Enterprise Technology Development Program): 2001~2002
• Piezoelectric material development (NASA Code R Cross Enterprise Technology Development Program): 2001~2002
• Microactuator development (Gossamer Space Telescope Technology NRA Phase I) : 2001~2002

- Caltech Postdoctoral Scholar at JPL: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Jan. 1999 – Feb. 2001

• Meso-gyroscope development (Hughes Space and Communications Company / DARPA-DSO): 2000~2001
• Microactuator design (JPL Technology Development Agreement) : 1999~2000
• MEMS deformable mirror: 1999

- Postdoctoral Research Staff: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), Korea: Nov. 1998 – Dec.1998

- Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow: Institute of Industrial Science (IIS), University of Tokyo, Japan: June 1996 – July 1998


RESEARCH INTERESTS

- Nanofabrication for biomedical applications:
  -Nanodiscs for on-demand drug delivery
  -Segmented nanowires for biological separation
  -Intraocular active lenses and intraocular pressure sensing systems

- Nanofabrication for nanoelectronics:
  -Carbon Nanotube (CNT) single electron devices
  -Cu nanotube fabrication

- Nanofabrication for sensing applications:
  -Nanosensors using CNT transistors
  -Nanosensors on microheater membranes

- Nanofabrication for energy conversion:
  -Thermoelectric nanowires
  -Amplified thermionic cooling

- Nanomanufacturing
  -Nanochannel fabrication
  -Nanowire assembly

- MEMS actuator-based instruments and devices:
  -Deformable mirror
  -Microvalve
  -Linear microactuator
  -Precision resonator


 

PEER REVIEWED JOURNALS (2003~)

1. C. M. Hangarter, Y. Rheem, B. Yoo, E. H. Yang, and N. V. Myung, “Hierarchical Magnetic Assembly of Nanowires,” IOP Nanotechnology 2007.  in-press
2. E. H. Yang, C. Lee and J. Khodadadi, Invited Paper “Development of MEMS-Based Piezoelectric Microvalve Technologies – Fabrication, Characterization and Modeling,” Journal of Sensors and Materials, Special Issue on Microvalve, 2007.  in-press
3. C. A. Johnson, J. M. Khodadadi and E. H. Yang, “Modeling of Frictional Gas Flow Effects in a Piezoelectrically Actuated High-pressure Microvalve under Low Leak-rate Conditions,” Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, vol. 16, pp. 2771-2782, 2006.
4. E. H. Yang, Y. Hishinuma, J.-G. Cheng, S. Trolier-McKinstry, E. Bloemhof, and B. M. Levine, “Thin-Film Piezoelectric Unimorph Actuator-based Deformable Mirror with a Transferred Silicon Membrane,” IEEE/ASME Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems,Vol. 15, No. 5, pp. 1214-1225, Oct. 2006.
5. C. Lee, E. H. Yang, S. M. Saeidi and J. Khodadadi, “Fabrication, Characterization and Computational Modeling of a Piezoelectrically Actuated Microvalve for Liquid Flow Control,” IEEE/ASME Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, Vol. 15, No.3, pp.686-696, June 2006. 
6. Y. Hishinuma and E. H. Yang, "Piezoelectric Unimorph Microactuator Arrays for Single-Crystal Silicon Continuous Membrane Deformable Mirror," IEEE/ASME Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 370-379, April 2006.
7. E. H. Yang, C. S. Lee, J. Mueller and T. George, "Leak-Tight Piezoelectric Microvalve for High-Pressure Gas Micropropulsion," IEEE/ASME Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, Vol. 13, No. 5, pp. 799-807, Oct. 2004. 
8. E. H. Yang and D. V. Wiberg "A Wafer-Scale Membrane Transfer Process for the Fabrication of Optical Quality, Large Continuous Membranes," IEEE/ASME Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, Vol. 12, No. 6, pp. 804-815, Dec. 2003. 
9. C. Lee, E. H. Yang, N.V. Myung, and T. George, “A Nanochannel Fabrication Technology without Nanolithography,” American Chemical Society NanoLetters, Vol. 3, No. 10, pp. 1339-1340, Oct. 2003. 
10. J. Mueller, J. Polk, E. H. Yang, A. Green, V. White, D. Bame, I. Chakraborty, S. Vargo, and R. Reinicke, “An Overview of MEMS-Based Micropropulsion Developments at JPL,” Acta Astronautica, Vol. 52, No. 9~12, pp. 881-895, 2003.

INVITED PAPERS/PRESENTATIONS (2003~)

1. E. H. Yang, “Development of Microactuators Technologies for Space Applications,” IEEE Metropolitan LA Section General Membership Dinner Meeting, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, April, 2006.
2. E. H. Yang, “Development of Microactuators Technologies for Space Applications,” BSAC Lunch Time Seminar Series, University of California, Berkeley, November, 2005.
3. E. H. Yang, “Development of Microactuators Technologies for Space Applications,” WIMS Center Seminar Series, NSF Engineering Research Center for Wireless Integrated MicroSystems at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, September 2005.
4. E. H. Yang, “Development of Microactuators Technologies for Space Applications,” Lunch Time Seminar Series, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Woodland Hills, CA, August 2005.
5. E. H. Yang, “Development of Wavefront Corrector Technologies for Space Applications,” NASA Mirror Tech Days 2005, Huntsville, Alabama, August 2005.
6. E. H. Yang, “Deployable Optical Mirror with Controlled Deformation,” DARPA MTO Polymer MEMS Workshop, Washington DC, March 2~3, 2005.
7. E. H. Yang, “Adaptive Optics – MEMS Deformable Mirror Development at JPL,” JPL Advanced Planning and Integration (APIO), Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Nov. 4, 2004.
8. E. H. Yang, “Development of Microactuators Technologies for Space Applications,” Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, June 1, 2005.
9. E. H. Yang, “MEMS Actuators for Space Applications,” JPL Division 32-38 Joint Seminar, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, April 2004.
10. E. H. Yang, “Large-Stroke Continuous Membrane Deformable Mirror for Medical Diagnosis,” NASA Medical Technology Summit, Pasadena, Feb. 11-13, 2003.
11. P. Krulevitch, P. Bierden, T. Bifano, E. Carr, C. Dimas, H. Dyson, M. Helmbrecht, P. Kurczynski, R. Muller, S. Olivier, Y. Peter, B. Sadoulet, O. Solgaard, and E. H. Yang, “MOEMS Spatial Light Modulator Development at the Center for Adaptive Optics,” Invited Paper, SPIE Photonics West, Micromachining and Microfabrication Conference, San Jose, California, USA, January 2003.

PEER REVIEWD CONFERENCES (2003~)

1.     R. Toda and E. H. Yang, “Zero-Power Latching, Large-stroke, High-precision Linear Microactuator for Lightweight Structures in Space,” IEEE Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Conference, Istanbul, Turkey, January 2006.
2.     R. Toda and E. H. Yang, “Development of Latching Type Large Vertical Travel Microactuator,” ASME/Pacific Rim Technical Conference and Exhibition on Integration and Packaging of MEMS, NEMS and Electronic Systems (InterPACK ’05), San Francisco, USA, July 17-22, 2005.
3.     Y. Hishinuma and E. H. Yang, “Large Aperture Deformable Mirror with a Transferred Single-Crystal Silicon Membrane Actuated Using Large-Stroke PZT Unimorph Actuators,” IEEE Int. Conf. Solid-State Sensors and Actuators (Transducers '05), Seoul, Korea, June 2005.
4.     S.M. Saeidi, J.M. Khodadadi, C.A. Johnson, C. Lee and E. H. Yang, “Computational Modeling of a Piezoelectrically Actuated Microvalve for the Control of Liquid Flowrate”, 2005 NSTI Nanotechnology Conference and Trade Show, Nanotech 2005, May
8-12, 2005, Anaheim, California, U.S.A.
5.        R. Toda and E. H. Yang, “Fabrication and Characterization of Vertical Travel Linear Microactuator,” SPIE Photonics West, MOEMS-MEMS Conference, San Jose, California, USA, January 2005. 
6.     Y. Hishinuma, E. H. Yang, Eric Bloemhof, and B. Martin Levine, “Piezoelectric Unimorph MEMS Deformable Mirror for Ultra-Large Telescopes,” SPIE Photonics West, MOEMS-MEMS Conference, San Jose, California, USA, January 2005. 
7.     R. Toda and E. H. Yang, “Fabrication and Characterization of Vertical Inchworm Microactuator,” Proceedings of 2004 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Anaheim, California, November 13-19, 2004.
8.     Y. Hishinuma, E. H. Yang, J. –G. Cheng, and Susan Trolier-McKinstry, “Optimized Design, Fabrication and Characterization of PZT Unimorph Microactuators for Large-Stroke, Continuous Membrane Deformable Mirrors,” Proceedings of 2004 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Anaheim, California, November 13-19, 2004.
9.     Y. Hishinuma and E. H. Yang, “Single-Crystal Silicon Continuous Membrane Deformable Mirror with PZT Unimorph Microactuator Arrays,” Solid State Sensor, Actuator and Microsystems Workshop (Hilton Head 2004), Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, June 6-10, 2004. 
10. C. Lee and E. H. Yang, “Piezoelectric Liquid-Compatible Microvalve for Integrated Micropropulsion,” Solid State Sensor, Actuator and Microsystems Workshop (Hilton Head 2004), Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, June 6-10, 2004. 
11. C. Lee, E. H. Yang, N.V. Myung, and T. George, “A Nanochannel Fabrication Technology without Nanolithography,” Micro-TAS Conference, Lake Tahoe, CA, USA, Oct. 5-9, 2003.
12.     C. Lee, E. H. Yang, N.V. Myung, and T. George, “A Nanochannel Fabrication Technique Using Chemical-Mechanical Polishing (CMP) and Thermal Oxidation,” IEEE-Nano 2003, San Francisco, CA, USA, August 12-14, 2003.
13. S. N. Gullapalli, E. H. Yang and S. –S. Lih, “New Technologies for the Actuation and Control of Large Aperture Lightweight Optical Quality Mirrors,” IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, Montana, USA, 2003. 
14. D. S. Choi and E. H. Yang, “Fabrication of 20 nm Embedded Longitudinal Nanochannels by Etching Sacrificial Nanowires,” Nanotechnology Conference and Trade Show, San Francisco, California, USA, February 23-27, 2003.
15. E. H. Yang, C. Lee and J. Mueller, “Normally-Closed, Leak-Tight Piezoelectric Microvalve with Ultra-High Pressure Upstream Flow Control for Integrated Micropropulsion,” IEEE International Conference on Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS ’03) Conference, Kyoto, Japan, Jan. 2003, pp. 80-83.
16. E. H. Yang, R. Dekany and S. Padin, “Design and Fabrication of a Large Vertical Travel Silicon Inchworm Microactuator for Advanced Segmented Silicon Space Telescope (ASSiST),” SPIE Photonics West, Micromachining and Microfabrication Conference, San Jose, California, USA, January 2003. 
17. E. H. Yang, K. Shcheglov and Susan Trolier-McKinstry, “Concept, Modeling and Fabrication Techniques for Large-Stroke Piezoelectric Unimorph Deformable Mirrors,” SPIE Photonics West, Micromachining and Microfabrication Conference, San Jose, California, USA, January 2003. 

Professional Services

• Technical Program Committee, 2006, IEEE Sensors Conference, Daegu, Korea, Oct. 2006.
• Technical Program Committee, 2005, IEEE Sensors Conference, Irvine, CA, Oct. 2005.
• Program Committee, 2005, SPIE MEMS/MOEMS Components and Their Applications Conference, San Jose, California, USA, January 2005. 
• Technical Program Committee, 2004, IEEE Sensors Conference, Vienna, Austria, Oct. 2004.
• Program Committee, 2004, SPIE MEMS/MOEMS Components and Their Applications Conference, San Jose, California, USA, January 2004. 
• Program Committee, 2003, SPIE MEMS/MOEMS Components and Their Applications Conference, San Jose, California, USA, January 2003. 
• Organizer, 2006 Micro and Nano Devices Topic within MEMS Division of the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Chicago, IL, Nov. 2006.
• Co-Organizer, 2005 Micro and Nano Devices Topic within MEMS Division of the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Orlando, FL, November 2005.
• Session Chair, 2006, ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Chicago, IL, Nov. 2006.
• Session Chair, 2006, IEEE Sensors Conference, Daegu, Korea, Oct. 2006.
• Session Chair, 2005, IEEE Sensors Conference, Irvine, CA, Oct. 2005.
• Session Chair, 2005 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Orlando, FL, November 2005.
• Session Chair, 2005, SPIE MEMS/MOEMS Components and Their Applications Conference, San Jose, California, USA, January 2005. 
• Session Chair, 2004, SPIE MEMS/MOEMS Components and Their Applications Conference, San Jose, California, USA, January 2004. 

Professional Societies

• Senior Member: The Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers (IEEE): Conference Committee, Session Chair
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME): Conference Committee, Committee Chair, Symposium Chair, Session Chair
• The International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE): Conference Committee, Session Chair
• Member: Materials Research Society (MRS)
• Member: Korean Institute of Electrical Engineering (KIEE)


Review (Technical papers and proposals)
IEEE Sensors Journal, 2004, 2006, 2007
IEEE/ASME Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, 2003
IEEE EDS Electron Device Letters, 2005
IOP Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 2006
IOP Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
IOP Nanotechnology, 2005, 2006, 2007
IOP Journal of Optics A: Pure and Applied Optics, 2005
Sensors and Actuators A, 2003
Journal of Micromechatronics, 2006
IEEE Sensors Conference, 2004, 2005, 2006
ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, 2004, 2005, 2006
SPIE MOEMS and MEMS Conference, 2004, 2005

- Proposals:
NASA SBIR Phase I and II, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
JPL Research and Technology Development, 2005
Ireland Science Foundation, 2005

- Projects:
Multi Object Spectrometer (MOS) for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)