Professor Pekka Kuivalainen retires after 40 years of research in Electron Physics

Pekka Kuivalainen has had a distinguished career since he joined TKK Electron Physics Laboratory in 1975 as research assistant 40 years ago. In addition to being tenured university professor, he has also worked as research professor in VTT. As head of TKK Microelectronics Centre in the early 1990's, he initiated the clean room research at university and established the university's first IC fabrication line at Otakaari 7. Pekka's own research focused on different aspects of semiconductors including magnetic semiconductors, polymer microelectronic devices, silicon solar cells, integrated power electronic circuits,  and most recently modeling of nanoelectronic devices such as single electron graphene transistors - just to name a few.

If you want to learn more about Pekka's life and his thoughts on development of theoretical physics in explaining the origin of the universe including quantum physics, string theories, multiverse... all the way to the philosophical questions about consciousness, we recommend to read his autobiography "Elämä pitkä, Kuivalainen lyhyt - Erään mikroprofessorin eräänlaiset muistelmat" - infused with his well-known sense of humor (Finnish only). The book includes a review of the history of the Finnish Microelectronics.

We wish Pekka every happiness and success in his well-deserved retirement!