“Generation after generation we hit the technology wall. IBMers possess the attitude that we never see the wall as a barrier; we see it as an opportunity for innovation.”
– T.C. Chen
When Dr. Tze-Chiang Chen joined IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, New York in 1984, the microprocessors ran at 5 MHz with 275,000 transistors per microprocessor. Since that time, Chen has helped lead one of the world’s most advanced silicon chip technology evolutions. Today, thanks to his contributions, microprocessors run at about 4 GHz with 1-2 billion transistors per processor.
On August 20, 2011, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) honored Chen with the
2011 Ernst Weber Engineering Leadership Recognition award at the IEEE Honors Ceremony in San Francisco, California. The award acknowledges Chen’s exceptional managerial leadership and contributions in the field of silicon chip technologies. These contributions include acting as the senior manager responsible for the announcement of the world’s fastest and smallest 256 megabit DRAM in the IBM/Siemens/Toshiba DRAM Development Alliance.
Chen credits much of his success to IBM executives who gave him “opportunities, one after the other, to conquer technology challenges.” Chen’s drive, enthusiasm, and dedication to his work undoubtedly had a great deal of impact on his success.
“I am very fortunate to be at IBM Research and to have been given technology challenges over all these years,” says Chen, noting that one of the most enjoyable parts of his IBM career has been to work with a number of talented individuals in research and technology.
Chen says he is honored to receive the award and the recognition the award brings to IBM, proving – as he says - that we are a company consistently at the forefront of the technology evolution.
Chen currently manages more than 600 IBM researchers across six global research laboratories. He has driven the research, development and application of silicon microelectronics technology for a variety of IBM products and solutions. This involvement at all levels – from concept to production – has provided him with what he calls “a fortunate opportunity to initiate, participate, and manage.”
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