SBHX Tech Talk August 2024: Incubating the Santa Barbara microchip industry

Presented by Dr. Demis John: Microchips are the world’s most advanced technology in the world. And Goleta & Santa Barbara are home to some of the most innovative microchip companies in the world. In this talk I will give an introduction to the local microchip industry, and explain how anybody can make microchips with a bit of imagination.

Demis John graduated with his Ph.D. in 2012 from the research group of Dr. Daniel J. Blumenthal at UCSB. He worked on creating ultra-low-loss optical waveguides, in close collaboration with the John E. Bowers research group, involving a great deal of materials analysis and fabrication along with optoelectronic simulation. From 2012 to 2017, Demis worked at Praevium Research Inc. where he developed near-infrared and mid-infrared tunable semiconductor lasers for medical imaging and gas spectroscopy, respectively. Combined, Demis has been using the UCSB Nanofab since 2006.

Demis has also worked with the Santa Barbara City College to build Santa Barbara’s first semiconductor cleanroom training for non-UCSB students, using a UCSB Cleanroom. He also launched the manufacturing and technology committee within the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce, with the intention of building the visibility of Santa Barbara‘s cutting edge microchip industry so local residents can be part of this amazing industry. The above efforts resulted in Demis being awarded Goleta finest innovator in 2023.