Click here for a booklet on the first 50 years of the history of the field of semiconductors at MISIS (with memories of our graduates) in PDF format, 6.4 Mb
The Department was formed in 2006 after merger of the Department of Semiconductors and the Department of Crystal Physics (until 1993 Department of Crystallography). The former was founded in 1962 by Prof. Semyon S. Gorelik (1911 – 2007) and the latter by the outstanding crystallographer Prof. Marianna P. Shaskolskaya (1913 – 1983).
TThe Department of Semiconductors became the first department in the country to train specialists in the electronic industry, and featured research labs of crystal growth, microelectronics, structure analysis, metrology, ferrites. Until 1964, when a special Department of Semiconductor Devices was organized, the Department of Semiconductors also dealt with problems of physics and technology of semiconductor devices. Unique educational programs were created, and evolve since.
The Department of Crystallography was founded in 1962, and in 1993 was renamed as Department of Crystal Physics. This Department was founded in 1962 and led until 1972 by a legendary crystal physicist Prof. Marianna P. Shaskolskaya. From 1972 to 2002 the Department was headed by Prof. Alexander A. Blistanov, and in 2002-2006 by Assoc. Prof. Oleg A. Buzanov.
In 2006 Department of Crystal
Physics and the Department of Semiconductors merged under the new name – Department of Semiconductors and Insulators, with Prof. Yuri N. Parkhomenko as its head. In 2021, Prof. Artem R. Oganov FRSC MAE became a new head of Department.
Prof. Semyon S. Gorelik (1911-2007) has lived a long and glorious life: from the age of 16 – a worker, Komsomol worker on the construction of Magnitogorsk in 1931-1933, until July 1935 – a Red Army soldier in the Far East (Chita), from 1935 to 1941 student of the Institute of Steel, employee of the defense industry department of the Moscow City Committee of the CPSU during World War II. For contribution to the organization of the work of the defense industry of Moscow, S.S. Gorelik was awarded the Order of the Red Star. From 1946, he worked continuously at MISIS: he entered graduate school, in 1949 obtained his PhD degree. Scientific activity of S.S. Gorelik by 1962 concentrated on the problem of recrystallization of metals and alloys. In July 1962, he was appointed the first Dean and managed to quickly organize a new Faculty of Semiconductor Materials and Devices, which he then headed for 10 years, and for 25 years he also headed the Department of Semiconductors. Until his death in 2007, S.S. Gorelik lectured and conducted research at the Department. In collaboration with M.Ya. Dashevsky wrote a unique textbook “Materials Science of Semiconductors and Dielectrics”. Prof. Gorelik has created a scientific school in the field of metal science and materials science of micro- and nanoelectronics. Under his guidance, 15 PhD and 75 MSc theses were defended. He has authored over 300 scientific papers. He was awarded the Orders of the Red Star (1944), the Badge of Honor (1980), the Order of Honor (2002), the medal “For Labor Valor” and 12 other medals. By 1969, the department had already graduated more than 300 engineers and prepared 6 PhDs.
Prof. Marianna P. Shaskolskaya (1913–1983) founded the Department of Crystallography, attracted the most talented people in the field of crystallography and crystal physics, and created a unique school of crystal physics.
In 1988 UNESCO named M.P. Shaskolskaya in the list of 47 Outstanding Women Physicists of the World. In 1972 her student, Prof. A.A. Blistanov became head of Department, and M.P. Shaskolskaya remained a professor of this Department until the last days of her life. To many, she is remembered by her classic textbook “Fundamentals of crystal physics”, translated into English and many other languages.
Alexander A. Blistanov (1937–2005) had a meteoric rise from student and then PhD student to Deputy Dean of the newly created Faculty of Semiconductor Materials and Devices, then Dean of that Faculty in 1972-1982, to Vice-Rector for Research of MISIS in 1986-1992. He headed the Department of Crystallography (from 1993 – Crystal Physics) from 1972 to 2002. Laureate of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour. Prof. Blistanov chaired the scientific and methodological commission of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation in the direction of “Technical Physics”. Under his guidance, more than 100 MSc theses, 20 PhD and Habilitation theses were defended. He has published more than 200 scientific papers and more than 50 inventions and patents. In 2000 he coauthored a unique textbook “Acoustic Crystals”.
FFrom 1988 to 1998, Prof. Auli Alexandrovich Galaev , Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, headed the Department of Materials Science of Semiconductors (1935-1998). In 1963, after graduating from MISIS A.A. Galaev was sent to work at the Department of Semiconductors, where he rose from a graduate student to the head of the Department. His scientific interests lay in the study of surfaces of semiconductors and in the field of materials science of device structures. In the 1960s and 1970s, together with his colleagues, he carried out a series of experimental studies (including the use of diffraction of slow electrons) to study the structure and chemical bonding at surfaces of diamond-like phases. His results made it into classic textbooks. Important results were also obtained by A.A. Galaev in the field of structure and properties of device structures, including varicaps, for which he and other scientists were awarded in 1990 by the Council of Ministers of the USSR.
From 1998 until June 2021, the Department was headed by Prof. Yuri N. Parkhomenko, laureate of the Russian Government Prize in the field of science and technology, and director of the Institute of Rare Metals (“Giredmet”). Yu.N. Parkhomenko is a prominent scientist in the field of physical chemistry and technology of inorganic materials (especially silicon), and experimental methods to study the composition and properties of materials. He has authored more than 200 papers, 3 monographs, 5 patents. Under his scientific guidance. 4 PhD and 1 Habilitation theses were defended. He currently supervises 10 PhD students.
Since June 2021, the Department of Semiconductors and Dielectrics is headed by Prof. Artem R. Oganov FRSC MAE. Prof. Oganov made an international career, obtaining a PhD at University College London (UK), Habilitation at ETH Zurich (Switzerland), and becoming tenured Professor at Stony Brook University (USA) and “1000 talents Professor” of, China, before returning to Russia in 2014.
Prof. Oganov is a founder of the field of computational materials discovery, a pioneer in crystal structure prediction and a prominent researcher in high-pressure chemistry and physics (including chemistry and physics of planetary interiors). Author of more than 300 papers (with many in Nature, Science and other top journals) and two books, editor of two books. One of the most cited Russian scientists. Member of Academia Europaea, Professor of Russian Academy of Sciences. Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, of American Physical Society, and of the Mineralogical Society of America. Laureate of the Friendship Award of the Chinese Government and many other awards. Member of the Presidential Council for Science and Education (2017-2020). Founded and chaired (2011-2017) the Commission on Crystallography of Materials at the International Union of Crystallography. Prof. Oganov has guided 19 PhD theses and 1 Habilitation thesis. 20 Professors and Associate Professors came through his research laboratories.
