RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. /PRNewswire/ -- Nextreme Thermal Solutions, a pioneer in embedded thermoelectric components, announced a new scientific advisory board comprised of leading experts in the fields of thermal electronics, nanotechnology, material science, semiconductor manufacturing and packaging, and target applications and markets. The four-member board will provide guidance on the development of new thermal management and power-generation products based on Nextreme's innovative thermoelectric technology.
"Nextreme is very fortunate to have the ongoing counsel of four leading experts in their respective scientific fields," Nextreme CEO Jesko von Windheim said. "Each member of our scientific advisory board has unique knowledge of the technologies that lie behind our embedded thermoelectric components. They will advise us on product development, inform us of pertinent new research and industry and market trends, and share the wisdom that comes with years of experience."
Nextreme is commercializing thin-film thermoelectrics technology based on a nano-material of bismuth telluride. Nextreme's embedded thermoelectric components are used to cool hotspots on semiconductor and optoelectronic chips as well as precisely control the temperature of temperature-sensitive components, such as photonics and DNA chips. Nextreme is also carrying out research to use the devices for power generation, where their high power density offers an advantage. The members of Nextreme's new scientific advisory board are:
Dr. Lon E. Bell is a leading expert in the mass production of thermoelectric products. In 1967, Dr. Bell founded Technar, a manufacturer of automotive airbag components, and directed its growth from zero to $120 million in sales. Dr. Bell currently serves as president of BSST LLC, which develops advanced thermoelectric systems. BSST has developed and demonstrated the highest system efficiency achieved with thermoelectric technology to date. He has authored more than 20 publications in the areas of thermodynamics of thermoelectric systems, automotive crash sensors, and other electronic and electromechanical devices. Five of his inventions have gone into mass production, and dominated their target markets.
Dr. Ralph K. Cavin, III, is an expert on the next generation of semiconductor products. He is currently vice president for research operations at the Semiconductor Research Corp. Dr. Cavin's technical interests span VLSI circuit and system design, computer-aided design of microelectronic systems, control theory with applications to semiconductor manufacturing, and applications of computing and telecommunications to engineering education. He has authored or co-authored over 100 refereed technical papers and contributions to books. Dr. Cavin is a Life Fellow of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He has served as a consultant to a number of government, industrial, and academic institutions and is a member of the board of directors and a fellow of the International Engineering Consortium, a member of the IEEE Computer Advisory Board, and chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Institute of Microelectronics in Singapore.
Dr. Mildred S. Dresselhaus is an acknowledged expert in materials science. She is currently the chair of the governing board of the American Institute of Physics. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the American Philosophical Society, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Physical Society, the IEEE, the Materials Research Society, the Society of Women Engineers, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and American Carbon Society. Dr. Dresselhaus has received numerous awards, including the National Medal of Science and 21 honorary doctorates. She is the co-author of four books on carbon science. Her research has covered a wide range of problems in the physics of solids, with special attention to nanoscience and carbon-based and other nanostructures of particular relevance to energy-related applications.
Dr. M. Michael Yovanovich is an expert in thermal heat transfer and thermal electronics, with four decades of research on thermal contact, gap, and joint resistances in microelectronics. Dr. Yovanovich is Distinguished Prof. Emeritus at the University of Waterloo, Adjunct Prof. of mechanical engineering, and is the founder and Principal Scientific Advisor to the Microelectronics Heat Transfer Laboratory at the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario. Dr. Yovanovich has authored or co-authored over 170 archive journal papers, over 130 conference papers, and 10 chapters in books. He is an Advisory Editor for the Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer. Dr. Yovanovich is fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, fellow of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics, fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and fellow of Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineers.
About Nextreme Thermal Solutions
Nextreme Thermal Solutions manufactures advanced thermoelectric devices to address the escalating thermal management needs of the semiconductor, photonics, biomedical, and defense/aerospace industries. These high-performance solid-state devices operate as miniature heat pumps for cooling semiconductors and precision thermal management of photonics and integrated optoelectronics chips. Nextreme's unique thin-film thermoelectric technology provides an industry "first" —the embedding of an active cooling device directly into an integrated circuit's package. Other applications include converting heat into electricity for advanced power generation applications, thermal batteries, and automotive energy management. Nextreme currently has 30 employees and is located in Research Triangle Park, N.C. For more information, please visit the company's Web site.