Lionel C. Kimerling

Professor Lionel C. Kimerling is the Thomas Lord Professor in Materials Science and Engineering at MIT. He leads research in semiconductor materials, photonics, and integrated circuit fabrication. His work has advanced telecommunications lasers, DRAM development, and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. He holds leadership roles in MIT’s Microphotonics Center and the AIM Photonics Institute.

• Education: BS and PhD in Metallurgy/Materials Science from MIT (1965, 1968).

Research interests include semiconductor defect analysis, silicon microphotonics, and energy-efficient manufacturing processes. His teams pioneered silicon photonics and developed key semiconductor diagnostic methods.

Awards span professional recognition from societies like Optica and the American Physical Society. He has authored over 600 articles and 75 patents in photonics and semiconductor processing.

Leadership: Directed MIT’s Materials Processing Center for 15 years, founded the Microphotonics Center, and oversees MIT’s manufacturing innovation initiatives. His educational contributions include the Frank E. Perkins Award for advising excellence.

Labs/Teams: Electronic Materials Research Group, collaborating across MIT’s materials disciplines and industry partners.