Eric Pop

Eric Pop is a Professor of Electrical Engineering and (by courtesy) Materials Science & Engineering at Stanford University's School of Engineering, where he leads the SystemX Heterogeneous Integration focus area. Previously, he served on the faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2007-2013) and worked at Intel Corporation (2005-2007). His academic background includes a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University (2005) and three degrees from MIT: MEng and BS in Electrical Engineering, and BS in Physics.

His educational credentials:

• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, 2005
• MEng in Electrical Engineering, MIT
• BS in Electrical Engineering, MIT
• BS in Physics, MIT

Professor Pop's research centers on the intersection of electronics, nanomaterials, and energy, with pioneering contributions to 2D materials (particularly transition metal dichalcogenides), semiconductor device physics, and thermal management. His work addresses critical challenges in contact engineering for atomically thin semiconductors, stability of oxide transistors, and energy-efficient neuromorphic systems. Current projects explore solvent doping techniques, strain engineering, and machine learning-assisted device characterization to enable next-generation electronics.

Analysis of his 2023-2025 publications reveals dominant themes in 2D semiconductor transistors, oxide device reliability, and neuromorphic computing architectures. Key trends include the integration of hyperspectral microscopy for rapid material characterization, Monte Carlo simulations for thermal-electrical transport, and phase-change materials for artificial neurons. His research consistently bridges fundamental material science with practical device engineering, emphasizing industrial scalability and low-power operation.

His scientific honors include:

• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)
• Young Investigator Awards from ONR, AFOSR, NSF, and DARPA
• Multiple best paper and best poster awards at international conferences with students

Professor Pop actively mentors PhD and Master's students through directed research courses (EE 190/191/390/391), fostering award-winning projects in semiconductor device innovation. His research program is supported by substantial grants from federal agencies including NSF, DARPA, and the Department of Defense, with recent work focusing on heterogeneous integration and thermal management for 3D circuits. As Editor of 2D Materials and former General Chair of the Device Research Conference, he significantly influences the semiconductor research community.

He directs the Pop Lab (poplab.stanford.edu), which maintains advanced nanofabrication and characterization facilities for semiconductor research. Current initiatives include developing flexible radio-frequency transistors exceeding 100 GHz, scalable production of transition metal dichalcogenide solar cells, and AI-accelerated thermal simulation pipelines for integrated circuit design. The lab's collaborative environment bridges electrical engineering, materials science, and computer science to address semiconductor industry challenges.