Category Archives: Metrology

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) announced that John Neuffer has been named president & CEO of the association. He will assume his new role in January, succeeding Brian Toohey, who has been president & CEO since 2010 and announced his plans to leave the association in 2013 to join New Hampshire-based DEKA Research & Development Corporation.

As Senior Vice President for Global Policy at the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), Neuffer has been responsible for all aspects of ITI’s global government relations covering a wide range of policy areas, including trade, cyber security, standards, regulatory, and privacy. Before joining ITI, John served for over seven years at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) as Deputy Assistant USTR for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and Deputy Assistant USTR for Japan.

“John Neuffer’s extensive trade and tech industry experience positions him well to build on the strong tradition of SIA’s leadership role for the U.S. semiconductor industry,” said Brian Krzanich, CEO of Intel and SIA Chairman. “John’s deep understanding of the importance of technological innovation to the U.S. economy and proven track record of success will serve him well as he takes the helm at SIA. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Brian Toohey for his outstanding leadership and service to the industry.”

“I am honored to assume the leadership of this outstanding organization that has made such an enduring impact to the semiconductor industry and the U.S. economy,” said Neuffer. “I am excited to advance the mission of SIA and its member companies at a time when the global landscape offers both great opportunities and great challenges.”

“I applaud the selection of John Neuffer as SIA’s next president & CEO,” said Brian Toohey. “I have had the opportunity to work closely with John on a number of key international initiatives during my time at SIA and know he will be a highly effective leader for the organization. It has been an honor to serve on behalf of an exceptional association and industry, and I wish John well in his new role.”

Neuffer is an executive committee member and former chairman of the U.S. Information Technology Office in Beijing and a member of the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on ICT, Services, and Electronic Commerce. Prior to his tenure with USTR, Neuffer lived and worked in Japan for 11 years, where he was an expert in Japanese politics and policy.

Lattice Semiconductor Corporation today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Jeff Richardson to the company’s Board of Directors and Audit Committee. Mr. Richardson brings to the Board more than twenty-seven years’ experience in the semiconductor industry.

Mr. Richardson joined LSI Corporation in 2005 and most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer until the company’s acquisition by Avago Technologies in May 2014. He earlier served as executive vice president of various LSI divisions, including the Semiconductor Solutions Group, Networking and Storage Products Group, Custom Solutions Group and Corporate Planning and Strategy. Before joining LSI, Mr. Richardson held various management positions at Intel Corporation, including Vice President and General Manager of Intel’s Server Platforms Group, and the company’s Enterprise Platforms and Services Division. Mr. Richardson’s career also includes serving in technical roles at Altera Corporation; Chips and Technologies; and Amdahl Corporation.

“Mr. Richardson is an excellent addition to our Board of Directors. He is a seasoned semiconductor industry executive with experience successfully building, acquiring, and transforming very complex and large businesses. We look forward to his informed perspective and contributions as Lattice Semiconductor continues to make impressive strides in the markets it serves,” stated Patrick Jones, Lattice’s Chairman of the Board.

Mr. Richardson, 49 years old, presently serves as a Director of Ambarella Corporation, a developer of low-power, high-definition and Ultra HD video compression and image processing solutions. From 2011 until 2013, Mr. Richardson served on the Board of Directors of Volterra Corporation. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder

SEMI today reported that worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment billings reached US$ 8.82 billion in the third quarter of 2014. The billings figure is 8 percent lower than the second quarter of 2014 and 15 percent higher than the same quarter a year ago. The data is gathered jointly with the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ) from over 100 global equipment companies that provide data on a monthly basis.

Worldwide semiconductor equipment bookings were $9.32 billion in the third quarter of 2014. The figure is 4 percent higher than the same quarter a year ago and 6 percent lower than the bookings figure for the second quarter of 2014.

The quarterly billings data by region in billions of U.S. dollars, quarter-over-quarter growth and year-over-year rates by region are as follows:


Region


3Q2014


2Q2014


3Q2013

3Q14/2Q14
(Q-o-Q)

3Q14/3Q13
(Y-o-Y)
Taiwan

2.30

2.48

2.24

-7%

3%
North America

2.16

2.32

1.22

-7%

77%
Japan

1.10

1.00

0.83

10%

32%
Korea

1.00

1.73

1.50

-42%

-34%
China

0.96

1.03

0.60

-7%

59%
Europe

0.66

0.57

0.60

16%

9%
ROW

0.64

0.50

0.64

28%

1%
Total

8.82

9.62

7.64

-8%

15%

Source: SEMI/SEAJ December 2014;Note: Figures may not add due to rounding.

The Equipment Market Data Subscription (EMDS) from SEMI provides comprehensive market data for the global semiconductor equipment market.

Continuing strength in China and a resurgent U.S. economy are combining to drive accelerated growth in the worldwide market for semiconductors used in industrial applications this year, according to IHS Technology.

Global market revenue for industrial semiconductors is expected to rise by 12.9 percent in 2014, reaching $38.5 billion, up from $34.0 billion in 2013. This represents an even larger increase in market growth compared to an 11.4 percent expansion in 2013.

The United States and China, the world’s two largest markets for industrial semiconductors, are propelling global growth this year, with revenue increases of 13 percent and 17 percent, respectively, as presented in the figure below. The two regions were responsible for strong market increases in the second quarter, compensating for a decline in Europe.

The surge in in the second quarter was thanks in particular to three sectors: factory automation; building and home control; and commercial aircraft. Expansion in the economies of the US and China overcame a contraction in the European market region during the April through June period. Following a seasonally slow first quarter, the strong second quarter expansion of nearly 7 percent kept the global market for industrial semiconductors on a strong ascendant path for the year.

“Rising demand for industrial semiconductors in the United States is being driven by a wide range of positive economic factors that are boosting the manufacturing sector,” said Robbie Galoso, principal analyst for IHS.

“At the same time, the Chinese government’s generous stimulus programs in several product markets are promoting broad-based strength for various industrial electronics areas. The robust performance in both countries kept spending on industrial semiconductors on track in the second quarter and set the stage for accelerated growth for the entire year of 2014.”

For more information, see the report entitled “Robust Q2 supports 2014 double-digit growth forecast” from the IHS Semiconductors & Components service.

Industrial juggernauts

The growth in the U.S. is driven by a plethora of factors, including a more stable housing market, improved consumer finances, and credit and increased capital spending. This will cause annual growth in the U.S. industrial semiconductor market to rise by about 2 percentage points in 2014 compared to 2013.

With 30.5 percent of total revenue in 2013, the United States is the No. 1 purchaser of industrial semiconductors in the world and has market share dominance across several industrial markets.

Meanwhile for China, that country’s economic growth is cooling somewhat, with the impact of government stimulus programs reverberating through the country’s various market segments. This is resulting in strong spending on microchips in industrial areas including manufacturing and process automation, test and measurement, building and home control, and security and video surveillance.

China is the second largest purchaser of industrial semiconductors in the world with 14.1 percent of total revenues in 2013.

LEDs light up the industrial chip sector

Among the fastest growing product sectors within the industrial semiconductor market will be optical light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which will attain 12.4 percent growth. The use of LEDs for general-lighting applications is propelling expansion of this area. Demand for general-lighting LEDs is so strong that as lighting outperformed other applications like televisions, some LEDs originally intended for TVs are being sold to the general-lighting market.

Other fast-growing segments include transistors and thyristors, which will grow 14.2 percent this year.

Silicon is the second most-abundant element in the earth’s crust. When purified, it takes on a diamond structure, which is essential to modern electronic devices–carbon is to biology as silicon is to technology. A team of Carnegie scientists led by Timothy Strobel has synthesized an entirely new form of silicon, one that promises even greater future applications. Their work is published in Nature Materials.

Although silicon is incredibly common in today’s technology, its so-called indirect band gap semiconducting properties prevent it from being considered for next-generation, high-efficiency applications such as light-emitting diodes, higher-performance transistors and certain photovoltaic devices.

Metallic substances conduct electrical current easily, whereas insulating (non-metallic) materials conduct no current at all. Semiconducting materials exhibit mid-range electrical conductivity. When semiconducting materials are subjected to an input of a specific energy, bound electrons can move to higher-energy, conducting states. The specific energy required to make this jump to the conducting state is defined as the “band gap.” While direct band gap materials can effectively absorb and emit light, indirect band gap materials, like diamond-structured silicon, cannot.

In order for silicon to be more attractive for use in new technology, its indirect band gap needed to be altered. Strobel and his team–Carnegie’s Duck Young Kim, Stevce Stefanoski and Oleksandr Kurakevych (now at Sorbonne) –were able to synthesize a new form of silicon with a quasi-direct band gap that falls within the desired range for solar absorption, something that has never before been achieved.

The silicon they created is a so-called allotrope, which means a different physical form of the same element, in the same way that diamonds and graphite are both forms of carbon. Unlike the conventional diamond structure, this new silicon allotrope consists of an interesting open framework, called a zeolite-type structure, which is comprised of channels with five-, six- and eight-membered silicon rings.

They created it using a novel high-pressure precursor process. First, a compound of silicon and sodium, Na4Si24, was formed under high-pressure conditions. Next, this compound was recovered to ambient pressure, and the sodium was completely removed by heating under vacuum. The resulting pure silicon allotrope, Si24, has the ideal band gap for solar energy conversion technology, and can absorb, and potentially emit, light far more effectively than conventional diamond-structured silicon. Si24 is stable at ambient pressure to at least 842 degrees Fahrenheit (450 degrees Celsius).

“High-pressure precursor synthesis represents an entirely new frontier in novel energy materials,” remarked Strobel. “Using the unique tool of high pressure, we can access novel structures with real potential to solve standing materials challenges. Here we demonstrate previously unknown properties for silicon, but our methodology is readily extendible to entirely different classes of materials. These new structures remain stable at atmospheric pressure, so larger-volume scaling strategies may be entirely possible.”

“This is an excellent example of experimental and theoretical collaboration,” said Kim. “Advanced electronic structure theory and experiment have converged to deliver a real material with exciting prospects. We believe that high-pressure research can be used to address current energy challenges, and we are now extending this work to different materials with equally exciting properties.”

This work was supported DARPA and Energy Frontier Research in Extreme Environments (EFree), an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science.

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), representing U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing and design – in consultation with Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) – today presented its University Research Award to professors from University of California, Berkeley and University of Texas at Dallas in recognition of their outstanding contributions to semiconductor research.

Dr. Tsu-Jae King Liu, TSMC Distinguished Professor in Microelectronics in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) at UC Berkeley, received the honor in technology research, while Dr. Kenneth O, professor of engineering at UT Dallas, was recognized for design research.

“We are pleased to honor Dr. Liu and Dr. O for their pioneering work that has helped advance the semiconductor industry,” said Dr. John E. Kelly III, IBM senior vice president, director of IBM Research, and 2014 SIA chairman. “Research is the lifeblood of our industry as we endeavor to advance electronics to new levels of productivity. We salute Dr. Liu and Dr. O for their achievements.”

“SRC’s mission is to seed innovation and help provide the people and ideas to keep its members and the U.S. semiconductor industry competitive, and Dr. Liu and Dr. O are ideal examples of this collective effort,” said SRC President Larry Sumney. “We commend these accomplished researchers for their roles in our university research engine that has made the U.S. the cradle of discovery and technology development.”

Dr. Liu, a member of the Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute and Chair of the EECS Department at UC Berkeley, earned B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. Prior to joining UC Berkeley, she worked as a researcher at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center. Dr. Liu’s current research activities include nanometer-scale logic and memory devices for energy-efficient electronics; she currently leads research on millivolt nanomechanical switches under the NSF Center for Energy Efficient Electronics Science. More on Dr. Liu’s career can be found here.

Dr. O received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT. Before joining UT Dallas, he was a professor at the University of Florida, Gainesville. Dr. O is researching devices, circuits and systems in CMOS for sub-millimeter wave and THz applications. Dr. O is the Director of the Texas Analog Center of Excellence (TxACE) funded by SRC, the state through its Texas Emerging Technology Fund, Texas Instruments Inc., the UT System and UT Dallas. More on Dr. O’s career can be found here.

In July during SEMICON West 2014, James C. Morgan, chairman emeritus, Applied Materials, Inc., announced a challenge where he would match up to $500,000 in donations to the SEMI Foundation to secure $1 million of funding support for workforce development.  With generous “Morgan Challenge Matchmaker” contributions, the SEMI Foundation recently reached its goal of $1 million for workforce development.

Contributors to the SEMI Foundation through the “Challenge Grant” included: Art Zafiropoulo, Ultratech; Rick Wallace, KLA-Tencor; Martin Anstice, Lam Research; Archie Hwang, Hermes Epitek; LT Guttadauro, Fab Owners Association; T.J. Rodgers; and the Urbanek Family Foundation.   A “success” party took place on October 18 at Ferrari Silicon Valley, hosted by Art Zafiropoulo, CEO of Ultratech.

As part of the challenge grant success party, six graduates of SEMI’s High Tech U program gave short narratives on the impact that HTU had on their lives.  Of the six students who attended, two have jobs in high tech, three are majoring in an undergraduate STEM program and one has returned to school to get his masters in civil engineering. Lisa Anderson said that 76 percent of HTU students who attended HTU between 2006 and 2010 are now employed in a STEM field.

The SEMI HTU alumnus spoke about the program giving them their first-ever exposure to direct STEM and semiconductor equipment industry experience or confirmed and deepened their developing interest in STEM education after seeing the linkage to industry delivered by HTU’s volunteer instructors.  Each former HTU student was clear that the SEMI HTU was an important experience  that shaped their later decisions on pursuing STEM-based careers.

“I’m pleased and honored by the generosity of the donors in meeting my challenge grant,” said Jim Morgan. “They will make it possible for thousands of young people to learn about the importance of math, science and the opportunities in high-tech careers through the phenomenal High Tech U program. Now the High Tech U program can proceed to the next level and achieve even greater impact.”

The SEMI Foundation supports STEM education and promotes career awareness in the areas of semiconductor and high-tech manufacturing and technology. Through High Tech U, the SEMI Foundation has conducted more than 170 programs for both students and teachers with a combined impact on more than 350,000 individuals.  High Tech U programs consist of a three-day “hands-on” science-based curricula and interactive professional skills development program. SEMI held 20 programs in 2013 in Europe, Japan, Korea and the United States.  The Foundation plans to expand the impact of the High Tech U franchise through enhanced program development, portal-based student engagement and tracking, industry employment information assistance and other improvements.

Jim and Becky Morgan; Lisa and Art Zafiropoulo

Denny McGuirk, SEMI (left); Art Zafiropoulo,Ultratech (center) accepting his award for his Million Dollar Challenge Donation of $100,000; Dana Ditmore, SEMI Foundation (right).

“Jim and Becky Morgan epitomize leadership and generosity through their tireless work to foster education,” said Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI.  “We commend his numerous contributions to SEMI, our industry, and the youth who will occupy high-tech careers in the future. We encourage others to support the SEMI Foundation.”

Morgan has an extensive history in business and philanthropy. He is chairman emeritus of Applied Materials. He previously served as chairman of the board from 1987 to 2009, and as chief executive officer from 1977 to 2003. Morgan is the recipient of the 1996 National Medal of Technology, IEEE Robert N. Noyce Medal, and Silicon Valley Leadership Group’s “Spirit of Silicon Valley Lifetime Achievement Award.” Morgan was vice chairman of the President’s Export Council in 2003. He was appointed to the 2002 U.S.-Japan private Sector Government Commission. From 1996 to 1997, Morgan served on the Commission on U.S. Pacific Trade and Investment Policy. From 1988 to 1992, he served on the National Advisory Committee on Semiconductors.

For more information on the SEMI Foundation and High Tech U, visit www.semi.org/Foundation

SEMATECH, the global consortium of semiconductor manufacturers, today announced that Dr. Ronald Goldblatt has been named President and Chief Executive Officer by the company’s Board of Directors, effective immediately. Dr. Goldblatt has served as acting President and Chief Executive Officer since April 2014.

“Ron has distinguished himself as a results-oriented leader through his ability to meet significant challenges in his first six months, and we are fortunate to have a seasoned executive with more than 30 years of experience in the semiconductor industry,” said SEMATECH Chairman William Rozich. “Ron has a vision of how to drive the next stage of innovation and growth that will establish a solid foundation for SEMATECH’s future and we are eager to move forward under his leadership.”

Dr. Goldblatt joined SEMATECH as Vice President of Technical Strategy and Operations in September 2013. Previously, he served as Distinguished Engineer and Senior Manager of Advanced Silicon Science and Process Technology for IBM Research and Microelectronics Division in Yorktown Heights, NY. Under his leadership, he led successful efforts in transforming IBM’s semiconductor research cleanroom, supporting early prototyping of breakthrough technologies and developing leading-edge semiconductor technologies. In addition to his deep expertise in leading major business initiatives, Dr. Goldblatt has extensive experience in leading and developing executive management teams.

“In order to move the industry forward and deliver value to our members, we must act aggressively to capture and capitalize on new opportunities that will position SEMATECH as an industry leader,” said Goldblatt. “By focusing on flawless execution of our operating strategy, we will leverage the full capabilities of our technical programs and deliver long-term value to our members and the industry at large.”

Presentations by Accenture Japan, Scripps, Toyota and ARM, were announced today for SEMICON Japan 2014, the largest exhibition in Japan for semiconductor manufacturing and related processing technology. Opening day presentations include: Makiko Eda (CEO of Intel K.K.), Chikatomo Hodo (president of Accenture Japan), Donald Jones (chief digital officer of Scripps), Tokuhisa Nomura (executive GM at Toyota), Yuzuru Utsumi (president of ARM K.K.), and Yasuo Naruke (CEO of Toshiba). The event will take place at its new venue in Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo on December 3-5 with sessions on power devices, DFM, lithography, MEMS, packaging, test, and more.  Bringing the latest in technology and opportunities for the semiconductor industry and to the new World of IoT (Internet of Things), SEMICON Japan offers a comprehensive look at what is going on in the industry. Registration is open for both the exhibition and programs on the SEMICON Japan 2014 website at www.semiconjapan.org.

The semiconductor equipment market in Japan is forecast to grow both in 2014 and 2015.  Drivers for the increased investment are: memory devices, power semiconductors and “More than Moore” semiconductor technologies.  According to the SEMI World Fab Forecast, in 2014, Japan will spend more than $10 billion in 2014 on semiconductor equipment and materials.  The projection for 2015 is to more than double semiconductor equipment spending to $4.2 billion.

SEMICON Japan 2014 will bring Japan’s rebounding semiconductor equipment market into focus and the underlying technology and business drivers.  SEMICON Japan will enable attendees to explore key technologies and business models necessary to grow in the coming years. Highlights include:

·        East Hall: SEMICON Japan exhibitors display their products and offer seminars all day throughout the event.  The floor layout includes a dedicated “World of IOT” area (TechSPOT East), Front-end Process Zone, Back-end/Materials & Overall Process Zone, and more.

·        SuperTHEATER (Conference Tower 1F): Programs include the Opening Reception, Women in Business program, Opening Keynotes, and seven forums: Semiconductor Executive Forum, IT Forum, IoT Forum, SEMI Market Forum, 2.5D/3D IC Forum, GSA Forum, and Manufacturing Innovation Forum.

·        SEMI Technology Forum (East Hall 3 and 5): Features these sessions: Power Device, DFM, Advanced Lithography, MEMS Sensors, Advanced Devices/Process, TSV/2.5D/3D, and Packaging. No interpretation available.

·        Pavilions on: Manufacturing Innovation, Ecosystem, Chemical Materials Management, and Secondary Equipment.

·        Conference Tower programs: SEMI EHS Standards Energetics Workshop, SEMATECH Symposium, International Compliance and Regulatory Seminar, Hospitality Seminar (TRUMPF Huettinger), Sustainable Manufacturing and High Tech Facility Forum, and the SEMI Standards Friendship Party.

·        Focus on Internet of Things (IoT) includes many sessions in both the SuperTHEATER and the two TechSTAGEs.

The opening reception, opening session (Women in Business program) and  opening keynotes are no charge for SEMICON Japan 2014 exposition attendees, but pre-registration is required. In addition, SEMICON Japan 2014 includes various social networking events: SEMI President Reception, SEMI Standards Friendship Reception, Member Reception Awards Ceremony, Pavilion Exhibitor’s Networking Reception Party, and Happy Hour.

SEMICON Japan 2014 is the place for information exchange and networking opportunities for people interested in semiconductor-related businesses in Asia — through the opening keynotes, pavilion and exchange networking events. SEMICON Japan 2014 also provides exhibitors an excellent opportunity to meet major device companies through the Suppliers Search Program. Japanese-English simultaneous translation will be available for many of the events and sessions at SEMICON Japan.

For further information on SEMICON Japan, visit www.semiconjapan.org/en/.

SEMI today announced that Tetsuro (Terry) Higashi, chairman, president and CEO of Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL), has been selected as the 2015 recipient of the SEMI Sales and Marketing Excellence Award, inspired by the late Bob Graham. He will be honored for outstanding achievement in semiconductor equipment and materials marketing during ceremonies on December 3 at SEMICON Japan 2014 in Tokyo.

Terry Higashi will receive the 18th SEMI Sales and Marketing Excellence Award for being a catalyst in the development of the advanced semiconductor research infrastructure in Albany, New York; setting a new standard for partnerships with his trusted relationship-style with customers; as well as his early efforts to globalize the company he leads and promote a collaboration model of industry engagement.

“Higashi-san is recognized as a leader and visionary throughout the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain,” said Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI. “His significant marketing leadership has served to energize the industry, and as a result he has had an impact extending far beyond his own company.”

Factors considered by the award selection committee in the evaluation of nominees include: marketing contribution, market growth considerations, value to the customer, and strategic importance to the industry. Many prominent industry executives representing both customers and competitors that commented during the committee’s due diligence process noted that, during the course of Higashi’s 35-year career, he championed the concept of a connected Value Chain with customers, suppliers, employees, and industry colleagues.

His encouragement of open platform initiatives and industry collaboration helped bring customers and suppliers closer together, increase the return on R&D investments, and focus research spending on the most challenging technical and economic challenges of Moore’s law. His leadership was vital to driving cooperation among SEMI members and their customers at innovation centers and consortia around the world that have helped the industry share risk and drive technology roadmaps.

Higashi is recognized as an early proponent of global business model among Japanese equipment company leaders. Early in his management tenure, at a time when the industry was transitioning from regional markets served by local suppliers to a truly global manufacturing supply chain, Higashi supported the transformation of TEL from a domestic trading company to a major, international equipment manufacturer. His global vision for regionally based sales, support and marketing grew to be among the most effective and respected in all regions.

Higashi also has an established record of industry stewardship. He was elected to the SEMI International Board of Directors in 1999 and served as Chairman of the SEMI Board from 2004 to 2005. He was named Director Emeritus of the Board in 2010. He also served as Chairman of SEAJ (Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan) from 2005-2011, and currently serves as its Vice Chairman.

Tetsuro (Terry) Higashi serves as the Chairman, President and CEO at Tokyo Electron Limited. He joined the company in 1977, having served as the President & CEO since 1996. He has worked in a variety of senior management positions. Higashi received an undergraduate degree from International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan and a master’s degree from Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji City, Tokyo.

The SEMI Sales and Marketing Excellence Award was inspired by the late Bob Graham, the distinguished semiconductor industry leader who was part of the founding team of Intel and who helped establish industry-leading companies Applied Materials and Novellus Systems. The Award was established to honor individuals for the creation and/or implementation of marketing programs that enhance customer satisfaction and further the growth of the semiconductor equipment and materials industry.

Eligible candidates are nominated by their industry peers and are selected by an award committee. Previous recipients of this SEMI award include: Art Zafiropoulo (2000), Jim Healy and Barry Rapozo (2001), Jerry Hutcheson and Ed Segal (2002), Steve “Shigeru” Nakayama (2003), Edward Braun (2004), Archie Hwang (2005), Aubrey C. (Bill) Tobey (2006), Richard Dyck (2007), Richard Hong (2008), Peter Hanley (2009), Martin van den Brink (2010), Franz Janker (2011),  Dan Hutcheson (2012), JC Kim (2013), and Winfried Kaiser (2014).