Pioneering Research In X-ray and Neutron Examination of Polymer Films Earns Stratton Award For Wu

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has presented the Samuel Wesley Stratton Award to Wen-Li Wu of the agency’s Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory. Established in 1962 and named for the first director of the National Bureau of Standards (the predecessor to NIST), recognizes an unusually significant research contribution to science and engineering that merits the acclaim of the scientific world and supports NIST’s objectives.

Wu, a materials research engineer, has pioneered research in the use of X-ray and neutron reflectivity to study the molecular-level structure of thin polymer films on solid substrates. He developed and published techniques for determining the glass transition temperature of ultrathin polymer films on a substrate, the electron density of ultrathin films, the concentration profile of water at a polymer/solid interface, and the roughness of silicon wafers following a variety of processing steps. All of this has helped make the manufacture of semiconductors more efficient.

Wu is a resident of ROCKVILLE, Md.

As a non-regulatory agency of the Commerce Department’s Technology Administration, NIST promotes U.S. economic growth by working with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements and standards.