HR1102 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1102 LRB097 21671 GRL 70023 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the light-emitting diode (LED) and honor the inventor of the LED, Nick Holonyak Jr.; and

WHEREAS, LED technology is used in literally every aspect of our lives, including the aviation, transportation and safety (traffic lights), theatre, photography, architecture, and aerospace industries; LEDs are also used in countless consumer electronics, including flashlights, mobile phones, automobiles, and light bulbs; and

WHEREAS, LEDs produce more lumens per watt than both incandescent and halogen lighting sources, making them more environmentally-friendly and cost-effective; LED's also have more than 10 times the life span of an incandescent bulb, making them perfectly suited for use in automotive dashboards, taillights, and headlights, as well as in traffic signals and consumer electronics; and

WHEREAS, Nick Holonyak Jr. was born, raised, and educated in Illinois; he earned his bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois; he was also the first graduate student of John Bardeen, the only 2-time recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics; and

WHEREAS, Nick Holonyak Jr. began his career at Bell Telephone Labs, where he helped develop silicon-diffused transistor technology; several years later, while working at General Electric, he invented the first practical light-emitting diode and the first semiconductor laser to operate in the visible spectrum; he also developed the first electronic devices in III-V compound semiconductor alloys and the basic silicon device used in household light-dimmer switches; and

WHEREAS, Nick Holonyak Jr. joined the faculty of the University of Illinois in 1963; upon his arrival at the University of Illinois, he and his students developed the first quantum-well laser, a practical laser used for fiber-optic communications, compact disc players, medical diagnosis, surgery, ophthalmology, and many other applications; in the early 1980s, his group introduced impurity-induced layer disordering, which converts layers of a semiconductor structure into an alloy with important electronic properties; this discovery solved the problem of a laser's low reliability and paved the way for the reliable and durable lasers now used in DVD players and other optical storage equipment; during the last decade, his group invented a process that enables the formation of high-quality oxide layers on any aluminum-bearing III-V compound semiconductor; and

WHEREAS, Nick Holonyak Jr. is currently researching transistor lasers; this research, currently in the early stages of development, could dramatically improve the speed and availability of electronic communications; and

WHEREAS, On October 24-25, 2012, the University of Illinois will hold a symposium on its Urbana campus to celebrate the invention of the LED and honor its inventor; and

WHEREAS, Nick Holonyak Jr. serves as a model of hard work, integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the LED, honor and thank Nick Holonyak Jr. for creating this important technology, and wish Mr. Holonyak continued success and happiness in his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Nick Holonyak Jr. and the University of Illinois as a symbol of our esteem and respect.