Robert W. Bower
Robert W. Bower | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 12, 1936 Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Died | January 27, 2024 (aged 87) Maui, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of California at Berkeley The California Institute of Technology |
| Known for | Self-aligned-gate MOSFET |
| Awards | National Inventors Hall of Fame, 1997 National Academy of Engineering, 1999 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Applied Physics |
Robert William Bower (June 12, 1936 – January 27, 2024) was an American applied physicist. Immediately after receiving his Ph.D. from The California Institute of Technology in 1973, he worked for over 25 years in many different professions: engineer, scientist, professor at University of California, Davis, and as president and CEO of Device Concept Inc. He also served as the president of Integrated Vertical Modules, which focused on three-dimensional, high-density structures. His most notable contribution, however, is his field-effect device with insulated gates—also known as a self-aligned-gate MOSFET (metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor), or SAGFET. Bower patented this design in 1969 while working at the Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California.
Bower also published over 80 journals and articles, patented over 28 inventions, and authored chapters in 3 different books. He died in Maui, Hawaii on January 27, 2024, at the age of 87.