Research Interests

The main emphasis of the research of Karl Hess is on the theory and simulation of electronic transport in semiconductors and semiconductor devices and, more generally on numerical simulation and computational electronics. He has discovered real space transfer of hot electrons and has developed, with his graduate students, the full band Monte Carlo method which represents currently the most accurate simulation method for nonlinear electronic transport in semiconductors and semiconductor devices. He also has introduced modern semiconductor laser diode simulation and developed the simulator MINILASE, again together with his graduate students. Some of his research has been dedicated to the simulation of hot electron degradation and the reliability of CMOS devices (after his co-discovery, with J. Lyding, of the increase of transistor and chip lifetime by deuterium anneal) and to the reliability of thin oxides in semiconductor technology. Among his major recent research interests are electronic structure of and electronic transport in semiconductor nanostructures, particularly carbon nanotubes, and the conductance of biological ion channels. Karl Hess is also increasingly interested in Quantum Information and Quantum Computing and how the theorems of the foundations of physic, particularly the theorem of Bell, relate to these areas.

Membership Type

Member

Election Year

2003

Primary Section

Section 31: Engineering Sciences

Secondary Section

Section 13: Physics