Faculty Profile - University of Houston
Skip to main content

Faculty Profile

Wei-Kan ChuWei-Kan Chu

Cullen University Professor
Department of Physics

Office: Houston Science Center, 114
Contact: wkchu@uh.edu - (713) 743-8252

Education: Ph.D., Physics, Baylor University

Google Scholar Profile
Website

Dr. Wei-Kan Chu is an expert in the field of Ion Beam interaction with Solid. His early work on energy loss of ions in elements formed the foundation of his seminal work building Rutherford Backscattering Scattering (RBS) into a Spectrometry. RBS is one of the key instrumentation methods in material science. His research activity has great impact on ion implantation in microelectronics, Si chips fabrication, wafer bonding, and metallization of devices, as well as on proton beam radiation therapy for tumors. He co-authored a book, Backscattering Spectrometry, which is one of the most important methods of ion beam characterization of materials. He has made a unique contribution on the study of channeling to Super-lattices. He discovered a resonance effect on channeling in super-lattices which was used to measure the lattice strain at interfaces. His channeling application in High Temperature Superconductors has impact on the phase transformation of YBCO above critical temperatures.

Chu and his team studied the interaction between High Temperature Superconductor and magnet, which resulted in a set of inventions including levitation bearings, non-contact clutch, linear transfer table, and vibration isolation.

His recent research activities have ventured into radiation damage in polymers, Ion Beam applications in nano structures for bio-applications.

Over the years, 27 students finished their Ph.D. under the instruction of Prof. Wei-Kan Chu. He has over 400 publications and 27 U.S. Patents.

Honors and Awards:

Fellow, American Physical Society
Distinguished Achievement Award from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, 1991
Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of American-Chinese Professionals, 1994
Superconductivity Award of Excellence for Outstanding Individual Accomplishment by the World Congress on Superconductivity, 1994
ISTEC/MRS International Workshop on Superconductivity, Material/Device Performance Award in recognition of superior performance in the category of Bearing Applications, 1995.
ISTEC/MRS International Workshop on Superconductivity Material/Product Performance Awards, in recognition of superior performance in the category of Thin Films, and the category of Strong Pinning Specimens, 1997
Outstanding Alumni Award, National Cheng-Kung University -North America Alumni Foundation Inc., 1997
Outstanding Alumni Award, National Cheng-Kung University, 1998
Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of American-Chinese Professionals, 2013