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Nick Holonyak

Nick Holonyak
Knownlyx encyclopedia image
Holonyak in 2002
Born
Nick Holonyak Jr.

(1928-11-03)November 3, 1928
Zeigler, Illinois, US
DiedSeptember 18, 2022(2022-09-18) (aged 93)
Urbana, Illinois, US
Alma materUniversity of Illinois (BS, MS, PhD)
Known forInvention of the laser diode
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsOptoelectronics
Institutions
ThesisEffect of Surface Conditions on Characteristics of Rectifier Junctions (1954)
Doctoral advisorJohn Bardeen
Doctoral students

Nick Holonyak Jr. (November 3, 1928 – September 18, 2022) was an American electronics engineer. He is noted particularly for his 1962 invention and first demonstration of a semiconductor laser diode that emitted visible light. This device was the forerunner of the first generation of commercial light-emitting diodes (LEDs). He was then working at a General Electric research laboratory near Syracuse, New York. He left General Electric in 1963 and returned to his alma mater, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he later became John Bardeen Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Physics.[2][3]

Early life and career

Nick Holonyak Jr. was born on November 3, 1928, in Zeigler, Illinois,[4] to Rusyn immigrants.[3][5] His father worked in a coal mine. Holonyak was the first member of his family to receive any type of formal schooling.[6] He once worked 30 straight hours on the Illinois Central Railroad before realizing that a life of hard labor was not what he wanted and he would prefer to go to school instead. According to a Chicago Tribune article in 2003, "The cheap and reliable semiconductor lasers critical to DVD players, bar code readers and scores of other devices owe their existence in some small way to the demanding workload thrust upon Downstate railroad crews decades ago."[7]

Holonyak earned his bachelor's (1950), master's (1951), and doctoral (1954) degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois. Holonyak was John Bardeen's first doctoral student there. In 1954, Holonyak went to Bell Telephone Laboratories, where he worked on silicon-based electronic devices. From 1955 to 1957, he served with the U.S. Army Signal Corps.[6][8]

From 1957 to 1963, Holonyak was a scientist at General Electric's Advanced Semiconductor Laboratory near Syracuse, New York. Here he invented, fabricated, and demonstrated the first visible light laser diode on October 9, 1962. He grew crystals of the alloy GaAs0.60P0.40; a GaAs laser diode that worked in the infrared had recently been demonstrated by his General Electric colleague Robert N. Hall. The GaAs0.60P0.40 laser diode worked at low temperatures, but the device still functioned as a light-emitting diode at room temperature.[9] The demonstration of red light emission from the diode inspired the article "Light of Hope – or Terror" in Reader's Digest. GaAsP was the material used for the first generation of commercial LEDs that came to market a few years later.[10][11][12][13]

In 1963, Holonyak became a professor at the University of Illinois.[14][15] In 1993, he was named the John Bardeen Endowed Chair Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Physics.[16] He investigated methods for manufacturing quantum dot lasers. He and Dr. Milton Feng ran a transistor laser research center at the university funded by $6.5 million from the United States Department of Defense through DARPA.[17] Holonyak retired from Illinois in 2013.[18]

Ten of his 60 former doctoral students have developed new uses for LED technology at Philips Lumileds Lighting Company in Silicon Valley.[13]

Inventions

Photograph of a two-story building with a tan brick facade and green copper roofing. A few steps lead up to wide glass doors. Signage above the doors reads "ELECTRONICS LABORATORY"
The former General Electric laboratory near Syracuse, New York, where Holonyak demonstrated red light from a diode laser and light-emitting diode in 1962.

In addition to introducing the III-V alloy LED, Holonyak held 41 patents. His other inventions include the red-light semiconductor laser, usually called the laser diode (used in CD and DVD players and cell phones) and the shorted emitter p-n-p-n switch (used in light dimmers and power tools).[6]

In 2006, the American Institute of Physics decided on the five most important papers in each of its journals since it was founded 75 years ago. Two of these five papers, in the journal Applied Physics Letters, were co-authored by Holonyak. The first one, co-authored with S. F. Bevacqua in 1962, announced the creation of the first visible-light laser diode.[9] The second, co-authored primarily with Milton Feng in 2005, announced the creation of a transistor laser that can operate at room temperatures. Holonyak predicted that his LEDs would replace the incandescent light bulb of Thomas Edison in the February 1963 issue of Reader's Digest, and as LEDs improve in quality and efficiency they are gradually replacing incandescents as the bulb of choice.[17]

Personal life

Holonyak and his wife, Katherine, were married for over 60 years. He died on September 18, 2022, in Urbana, Illinois, at the age of 93.[8]

Recognition

Memberships

Year Organization Type Ref.
1973 United States National Academy of Engineering Member [19]
1984 United States National Academy of Sciences Member [20]
2015 United States Optical Society Honorary Member [21]

Awards

Year Organization Award Citation Ref.
1973 United States IEEE IEEE Morris N. Liebmann Memorial Award "For outstanding contributions to the field of visible light emitting diodes and diode lasers." [22]
1981 United States IEEE IEEE Jack A. Morton Award "For pioneering work in quantum well lasers and contributions to visible semiconductor lasers and light-emitting diodes." [23]
1989 United States IEEE IEEE Edison Medal "For an outstanding career in the field of electrical engineering with contributions to major advances in the field of semiconductor materials and devices." [24]
1992 United States Optical Society of America Charles Hard Townes Award "For his career in quantum electronics, particularly his contributions to semiconducting, light-emitting sources." [25]
1993 United States National Academy of Sciences NAS Award for the Industrial Application of Science "For his profound impact on industry and on the daily lives of the people around the world through his prolific inventions in the area of semiconductor materials and devices, including practical light-emitting diodes." [26]
1995 Japan Japan Prize Foundation Japan Prize "Outstanding contributions to research and practical applications of light emitting diodes and lasers through pioneering achievements in the understanding of physical principles and in the process technology of intermetallic compound semiconductors." [27]
2001 United States Optical Society of America Frederic Ives Medal "For pioneering work in the field of semiconductor lasers and LEDs." [28]
2003 United States IEEE IEEE Medal of Honor "For a career of pioneering contributions to semiconductors, including the growth of semiconductor alloys and heterojunctions, and to visible light-emitting diodes and injection lasers." [29]
2003 Russia Global Energy Association Global Energy Prize[a] "For his invention of the first semiconductor LEDs (light-emitting diodes) in the visible region of the light spectrum, and his role as founder of the new field of silicon electronics and micro-electronics for power applications." [30]
2004 United States MIT Lemelson–MIT Prize [31]
2015 United States National Academy of Engineering Charles Stark Draper Prize[b] "For the invention, development, and commercialization of materials and processes for light-emitting diodes (LEDs)." [32]
2021 United Kingdom Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering[b] "For the creation and development of LED lighting, which forms the basis of all solid state lighting technology." [33]

Many colleagues expressed their belief that Holonyak deserved the Nobel Prize for his invention of the GaAsP laser and LED. On this subject, he said: "It's ridiculous to think that somebody owes you something. We're lucky to be alive, when it comes down to it."[6] In October 2014, Holonyak reversed his stance by stating "I find this one insulting" in reaction to news that the inventors of the blue LED were awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics, instead of his fellow LED researchers.[34]

National awards

Year Head of state Award Citation Ref.
1990 United States George H. W. Bush National Medal of Science "For his contributions as one of the Nation’s most prolific inventors in the area of semiconductor materials and devices, and for his role as research mentor while working at the forefront of solid-state science and technology." [35]
2002 United States George W. Bush National Medal of Technology and Innovation[c] "For contributions to the development and commercialization of light-emitting diode (LED) technology, with applications to digital displays, consumer electronics, automotive lighting, traffic signals, and general illumination." [36]

Commemoration

  • 1997: The Optical Society of America (now Optica) created the Nick Holonyak, Jr. Award in his honor.[37]
  • 2005: Inducted as a Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln (the State's highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois in the area of Science.[38]
  • June 2006: Two of Holonyak's papers were chosen by the editors of Applied Physics Letters as among the five most important published since the journal's founding in 1962.[39]
  • November 9, 2007: Historical marker installed on the University of Illinois campus recognizing his development of the quantum-well laser. It is located on the Bardeen Engineering Quadrangle near where the old Electrical Engineering Research Laboratory used to stand.[40]
  • 2008: Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (Announced February 14, 2008) (May 2–3, 2008 at Akron, Ohio).[41]
  • September 2018: Village of Glen Carbon, Illinois, placed an honorary street sign on behalf of Holonyak, a former resident.[42]

Notes

  1. ^ Awarded jointly with Gennady Mesyats and Ian Douglas Smith.
  2. ^ a b Awarded jointly with Isamu Akasaki, M. George Craford, Russell Dupuis, and Shuji Nakamura.
  3. ^ Awarded jointly with M. George Craford and Russell Dupuis.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Physics Tree - Nick Holonyak". academictree.org. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  2. ^ Schubert, E. Fred (2018). Light-Emitting Diodes (3 ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 2–6. ISBN 9780986382666. Another important step in the development of GaAsyP1–y (or simply GaAsP) LEDs occurred in 1962 when Holonyak and Bevacqua (1962) reported on the emission of coherent visible light from GaAsP p-n junctions at low temperatures (77 K) under pulsed current injection. The emission of coherent light was limited to low temperatures. At room temperature, the devices worked as LEDs and emitted incoherent visible red light. The 1962 publication is considered a milestone in the development of pn-junction LEDs made from III–V semiconductors emitting in the visible wavelength range (Holonyak, 1987).
  3. ^ a b "Nick Holonyak". www.aip.org. February 19, 2015. Archived from the original on September 12, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
  4. ^ "Nick Holonyak". www.pbs.org. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  5. ^ "Illinois Distributed Museum – Nick Holonyak, Jr". IDM Illinois Distributed Museum. IDM. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d "After Glow". Illinois Alumni Magazine. May–June 2007.
  7. ^ Von, Jon (January 25, 2003). "Nice Guys Can Finish As Geniuses at University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on May 16, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  8. ^ a b Ahlberg Touchstone, Liz (September 18, 2022). "Nick Holonyak Jr., pioneer of LED lighting, dies". University of Illinois News Bureau. Archived from the original on September 19, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Holonyak Jr., Nick; Bevacqua, S. F. (December 1, 1962). "Coherent (visible) Light Emission from Ga(As1−xPx) Junctions". Applied Physics Letters. 1 (4): 82. Bibcode:1962ApPhL...1...82H. doi:10.1063/1.1753706.
  10. ^ Manchester, Harland (February 1963). "Light of Hope – or Terror". Reader's Digest. p. 97. The latest dramatic laser discoveries, made by General Electric, may someday make the electric light obsolete. If these plans work out, the lamp of the future may be a speck of metal the size of a pencil-point which will be practically indestructible, will never burn out, and will convert at least ten times as much current into light as does today's bulb.
  11. ^ "Nick Holonyak, Jr. – Biography". IEEE Global History Network. IEEE. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  12. ^ Kubetz, Rick (May 4, 2012). "Nick Holonyak, Jr., six decades in pursuit of light". University of Illinois. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Wolinsky, Howard (February 5, 2005). "U. of I.'s Holonyak out to take some of Edison's luster". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on February 25, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  14. ^ Damery, Jonathan (August 5, 2013). "Holonyak retires after 50 years in ECE". University of Illinois. Archived from the original on February 8, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  15. ^ Grainger Engineering Office of Marketing and Communications (December 22, 2018). "Illinois faculty, former students honor Nick Holonyak legacy in celebration of his birthday | Holonyak Micro & Nanotechnology Lab | UIUC". Mntl.illinois.edu. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  16. ^ "Nick Holonyak | Lemelson". Lemelson.mit.edu. November 3, 1928. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  17. ^ a b Port, Otis (May 23, 2005). "Nick Holonyak: He Saw The Lights". Business Week. Archived from the original on June 27, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  18. ^ "LED inventor retires from U. of Illinois". Pjstar.com. August 7, 2013. Archived from the original on September 19, 2022.
  19. ^ "Dr. Nick Holonyak". www.nae.edu. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  20. ^ "Nick Holonyak, Jr". www.nasonline.org. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  21. ^ "Honorary Members". www.optica.org. Archived from the original on December 30, 2025. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
  22. ^ "IEEE Morris N. Liebmann Memorial Award Recipients" (PDF). IEEE. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2011.
  23. ^ "IEEE Andrew S. Grove Award Recipients" (PDF). IEEE. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 11, 2025. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  24. ^ "IEEE Edison Medal Recipients" (PDF). IEEE. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  25. ^ "Charles Hard Townes Medal". www.optica.org. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  26. ^ "NAS Award for the Industrial Application of Science". National Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on January 8, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  27. ^ "The 1995 Japan Prize". www.japanprize.jp. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  28. ^ "Frederic Ives Medal". www.optica.org. Archived from the original on March 16, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  29. ^ "Nick Holonyak, Jr". Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  30. ^ "Laureates". globalenergyprize.org. Archived from the original on September 6, 2025. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  31. ^ "$500K Lemelson–MIT Prize Winners". MIT. Archived from the original on July 10, 2025. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  32. ^ Ainsworth, Susan J. (January 7, 2015). "Pioneers Of Light-Emitting Diodes Honored With 2015 Charles Stark Draper Prize". Chemical & Engineering News. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  33. ^ "LED Lighting". qeprize.org. Archived from the original on June 24, 2025. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  34. ^ Mercer, David (October 8, 2014). "LED Inventor Insulted, Feels Work Bypassed By Nobel". Electrical Engineering News and Products. Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 19, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  35. ^ "Nick Holonyak Jr". nationalmedals.org. Archived from the original on June 17, 2025. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  36. ^ "2002 Laureates- National Medal of Technology and Innovation". USPTO. Archived from the original on September 10, 2025. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  37. ^ "Nick Holonyak, Jr. Award". www.optica.org. Archived from the original on June 27, 2025. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
  38. ^ "Laureates by Year". The Lincoln Academy of Illinois. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
  39. ^ "Illinois physicists produce two most important scientific papers". phys.org. June 5, 2006.
  40. ^ Communications, Grainger Engineering Office of Marketing and. "Holonyak historical marker unveiled". ece.illinois.edu. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  41. ^ "News | Engineering at Illinois | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign". Archived from the original on March 14, 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2008.
  42. ^ Sommerhof, John (July 9, 2018). "Glen Carbon names first honorary street designation". Thetelegraph.com. Archived from the original on July 9, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2022.

Further reading

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