John Zolper
Director, Microsystems Technology Office
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)


Talk Title: "Nanotechnology at DARPA"

Abstract
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) serves as the premiere Research and Development agency for the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). In this role, DARPA has been sponsoring work in nanotechnology for many years in the areas of materials, biology, electronics, and photonics. The exploitation of nanostructured materials and biology continues to lead to unique properties. Similarly, the development of new electronic and photonic devices whose operation is determined by sub-100 nm features is an ongoing area of research for DARPA. This talk will present current activities supported by DARPA in the field of nanotechnology and identify emerging research opportunities.

Biographical Sketch
Dr. John C. Zolper was appointed the Director of the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) in March 2005. In this capacity, he is responsible for the monitoring, analysis, and evaluation of research projects directed by the MTO Program Managers. In addition, he is responsible for the conceptual planning necessary to lead MTO into new program areas far in advance of the current state-of-the-art in the areas of electronics, photonics, MEMS, component architectures, and algorithms.

Prior to being appointed Director of MTO, he was Deputy Office Director from September 2002. Dr Zolper first joined DARPA's Microsystems Technology Office in October 2001 as a Program Manager. His program responsibilities included managing the Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Technology Initiative program thrust on High Power Electronics and the Technology for Frequency Agile Digitally Synthesized Transmitters (TFAST) program. He is interested in a range of Microsystems technologies including novel semiconductor devices and circuits, ultra high speed analog devices, wide bandgap electrical and photonic devices, high power electronics components, and photovoltaics.

Prior to joining DARPA, Dr Zolper was a program officer in the Electronics Division of the Office of Naval Research. At ONR he was responsible for managing the ONR's basic and applied research programs in advanced electronics. His programs included several of the premier academic and industrial teams developing group III-Nitride and SiC electronics.

Prior to joining ONR in 1997, Dr Zolper was a senior member of technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM from 1989 to 1997 where he developed advanced III-V semiconductor processes and devices, including the first GaN JFET. In 1988 Dr Zolper spent time as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia working on high efficiency silicon solar cells.

Dr. Zolper was awarded the PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Delaware in 1987 and the BA in Physics from Gettysburg College in 1982. He is the author or co-author of over 150 journal and conference papers, seven book chapters, and holds five US patents. He is a Senior Member of IEEE.

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