Tower Lighting Honors Grant Willson

Professor Grant Willson stands next to UT Austin President Bill Powers in front of the UT Tower as it is lit up burnt orange in honor of Willson. Both men are displaying a hook 'em hand sign. The University of Texas Tower was lit May 5 to honor Professor Grant Willson who won the 2013 Japan Prize. Willson earned the international award, similar to the Nobel Prize, alongside his colleague and friend Jean M.J. Frechet for their development of a process that is now used to manufacture nearly all of the microprocessors and memory chips in the world.

The pair created chemically amplified resist polymers, a light-sensitive material that enables manufacturers to fit more onto computer chips. The material is now used to set up technologies as diverse as mobile phones, personal computers, home appliances, automobiles and medical equipment. The award was presented in front of the Emperor of Japan at a ceremony and banquet in Tokyo April 24, 2013.

Read the story: Willson Wins Japan Prize for Innovative Semiconductor Materials

Tags: Grant Willson, Japan Prize, memory chips, microprocessors, tower lighting, UT Austin, UT Tower

Tower Lighting Honors Grant Willson

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