Ching W. Tang
Early Life and Education
Ching W. Tang was born in Hong Kong in 1947. He received his early education at the Pui Ching Middle School, a well-known private school in the region. Tang then pursued his undergraduate studies in chemistry at the University of British Columbia in Canada, where he graduated with honors in 1970.
Following his undergraduate studies, Tang moved to the United States to continue his education. He enrolled at the Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he completed his Ph.D. in physical chemistry in 1975. His doctoral thesis focused on the study of excitons, a bound state of an electron and an electron hole which are attracted to each other by the electrostatic Coulomb force.
Career and Research
After completing his Ph.D., Tang began his professional career at the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York. He worked in the research laboratories, where he made significant contributions to the field of organic electronics.
In 1987, Tang and his colleague Steven Van Slyke made a groundbreaking discovery: the organic light-emitting diode (OLED). This technology, which allows for thin, flexible displays that are more energy-efficient than traditional LED displays, has revolutionized the electronics industry. The discovery of OLEDs has led to advancements in various fields, including television screens, computer monitors, and smartphone displays.
In addition to his work on OLEDs, Tang has also made significant contributions to the development of organic solar cells. These devices, which convert sunlight into electricity using organic compounds, offer a promising alternative to traditional silicon-based solar cells. Tang's work in this area has helped to improve the efficiency and affordability of organic solar cells, making them a more viable option for renewable energy production.
In 2006, Tang left Eastman Kodak to join the faculty at the University of Rochester as the Doris Johns Cherry Professor of Chemical Engineering. At the University of Rochester, Tang has continued his research in organic electronics, focusing on the development of new materials and devices.
Awards and Honors
Over the course of his career, Tang has received numerous awards and honors in recognition of his contributions to the field of organic electronics. In 2011, he was awarded the prestigious Wolf Prize in Chemistry for his work on OLEDs. This was followed by the Nick Holonyak Jr. Award in 2013, which is given by the Optical Society of America in recognition of significant contributions to optics.
In 2018, Tang was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his invention of the OLED. This honor recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to innovation and invention.
See Also
- Organic Electronics
- Organic Solar Cell
- Exciton
- Wolf Prize in Chemistry
- National Inventors Hall of Fame