UCLA Electrical Engineering Department

Professor Chen is a plasma physicist with a career extending over 52 years and encompassing both experiment and theory. He has devoted about a decade each to the subfields of magnetic fusion, laser fusion, plasma diagnostics, basic plasma physics, and low-temperature plasma physics. Most plasma students are familiar with his textbook Introduction to Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion.

Though formally retired from teaching, Prof. Chen still maintains an active research group.

Research Interests

Professor Chen's current interest is in plasma processing of semiconductor circuits, especially the radiofrequency sources used to make computer chips, and in the physical processes that permit etching millions of transistors on a single chip. To learn more about this, please visit the site for UCLA's Low Temperature Plasma Technology Laboratory (LTPTL). This site also contains downloads of recent presentations and useful computational programs.

Awards and Recognitions

• 1995 Maxwell Prize, American Physical Society

• 1994 IEEE Plasma Science and Applications Award

• 1983 Chairman, APS Division of Plasma Physics

• 1980 Fellow, IEEE

• 1968 Fellow, American Physical Society