B·贾扬特·巴利加1948—

背景

巴利加出生在印度马德拉斯，成长于印度班加罗尔附近的小村庄加拉哈立。父亲是巴拉特电子有限公司（Bharat Electronics Limited）的前任负责人。于1969年取得印度理工学院马德拉斯校区的学士学位，并分别于1971年及1974年取得壬色列理工学院的硕士与博士学位。

职业生涯

巴利加在纽约州斯克内克塔迪通用电气公司研究发展中心工作达15年，后于1988年时担任北卡罗来纳州立大学全职教授。1997年时，获选为杰出大学教授（Distinguished University Professor）。巴利加所发明的绝缘栅双极晶体管，结合了电子工程及电机工程两大科学领域。此项发明为消费者节省的金钱超过美金15兆，同时形成智能电网的基础。巴利加不仅工作于学术领域，同时也是三家利用半导体技术制造产品公司的创办人。且拥有的美国专利超过100项。2010年，获美国总统奥巴马颁赠代表美国工程师最高荣誉的美国国家技术与创新奖章。并于2014年因“功率半导体元件的发明、改良及商业化对社会的巨大贡献”获颁IEEE荣誉奖章。

荣誉

• IEEE院士：1983年
• IEEE纽维尔奖：1991年
• IEEE利布曼奖：1993年
• IEEE埃伯斯奖：1998年
• IEEE兰梅奖章：1999年
• 美国国家工程院院士：2000年
• 欧洲科学院院士：2005年
• 美国国家科技与发明奖章：2010年
• IEEE荣誉奖章：2014年

Bantval Jayant Baliga (born (1948-04-28)28 April 1948) is an Indian electrical engineer best known for his work in power semiconductor devices, and particularly the invention of practical implementations of the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT).

In 1993, Baliga was elected as a member into the National Academy of Engineering for contributions to power semiconductor devices leading to the advent of smart power technology, and in 2024, won the Finnish Millennium Technology Prize for his invention of the IGBT.

Early life and education

Baliga grew up in Jalahalli, a small village near Bangalore, India. Jayant studied at Bishop Cotton Boys' School, Bangalore. He received his B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras in 1969, and his MS (1971) and PhD (1974) in Electrical Engineering from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Bantwal Vittal Manjunath Baliga, was one of India's first electrical engineers in the days before independence and founding President of the Indian branch of the Institute of Radio Engineers, which later became the IEEE in India. Baliga's father played pivotal roles in the founding of Indian television and electronics industries. During his childhood his father inspired him a lot. Baliga remembers reading IEEE proceeding during his high school days which were brought home by his father. He graduated from high school in 1963.

Career

He worked 15 years at the General Electric Research and Development Center in Schenectady, New York. In the early 1980s, he invented the insulated gate bipolar transistor that combines sciences from two streams: Electronics engineering and Electrical engineering. It is a transistor switch that was immediately put into production once invented.

This has resulted in cost savings of over $15 trillion for consumers, and is forming a basis for smart grid. This device is in use in many machines and devices using electricity, from kitchen appliances, medical devices, and electric cars to the electric power grid itself.

He joined North Carolina State University in 1988 as a Full Professor. He was promoted to Distinguished University Professor in 1997. He continues to innovate in electronics, even as an emeritus professor.

He has founded three companies that made products based on semiconductor technologies.

Recognition

Baliga is a Member of the National Academy of Engineering (1993) and the European Academy of Sciences (2005), as well as an IEEE Fellow (1983).

He received the 1991 IEEE Newell Award, 1993 IEEE Morris N. Liebmann Memorial Award, 1998 IEEE J J Ebers Award, and 1999 IEEE Lamme Medal.

He holds 120 U.S. patents.

In 1997, Scientific American magazine included him among the 'Eight Heroes of the Semiconductor Revolution' when commemorating the 50th anniversary of the invention of the transistor.

In 2011, he was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest award for an engineer in USA by US President Barack Obama.

In 2014, he was awarded the IEEE Medal of Honor, "For the invention, implementation, and commercialization of power semiconductor devices with widespread benefits to society."

In 2015, he received the Global Energy Prize for invention, development and commercialization of Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor, which is one of the most important innovations for the control and distribution of energy.

In 2016, Baliga was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

He was the Chief Guest for the 53rd Convocation at IIT Madras held on 22-07-2016. He was awarded Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) in the ceremony.

In September 2024, it was announced that Baliga won the million Euro Millennium Technology Prize, supported by the Republic of Finland. The award ceremony is held on October 30, 2024 in Finland. He was honored for his invention in the 1980s of the Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT), which has dramatically increased the efficiency of devices using electricity, allowing precise digital switching of electricity. The device is used in wind and solar technology, in electric cars, in devices for maintaining or investigating human health, in kitchen appliances and more.