IEEE Fellow and IEE Director Steven P. DenBaars is honored with the 2026 IEEE NICK HOLONYAK, JR. MEDAL FOR SEMICONDUCTOR OPTOELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGIES
Sponsored by Friends of Nick Holonyak, Jr.
“For seminal contributions to compound semiconductor optoelectronics, including high-efficiency visible light-emitting diodes, lasers, and LED displays.”
IEEE Fellow Steven P. DenBaars — UC Santa Barbara
Professor DenBaars is honored for pioneering gallium nitride semiconductors and LED technologies that enable the bright, energy-efficient lighting used in homes, smartphones, automotive headlights, and large-scale displays. DenBaars is widely recognized for his pioneering contributions to the development of high-efficiency light-emitting diodes (LEDs), MicroLEDs for data communications and display technologies, laser-based displays, and energy-efficient power electronics. His research focuses on the growth and application of wide-bandgap semiconductors, particularly gallium nitride (GaN), enabling advancements in MicroLEDs, UV LEDs, vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), laser diodes, 5G RF electronics, and high-power electronic devices.