ºÚÁÏÍø

News

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

Pekka Kuivalainen, Professor in Microelectronics, is retiring from Aalto University after 40 years of active research in Electron Physics.
Pekka Kuivalainen, Professor of Microelectronics, holding copper-contacted silicon solar cells fabricated in the university clean room in the 1990's.

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!

  • Updated:
  • Published:
Share
URL copied!

Read more news

Graduates in dark suits and top hats at a ceremony, facing a blue-lit stage with many flags.
Awards and Recognition Published:

Seven new honorary doctors in technology at Aalto University in 2026

The ceremonial conferment takes place on university campus in June.
Iris Seitz
Awards and Recognition Published:

Iris Seitz awarded for exceptional early-career achievement

Dr. Iris Seitz, former PhD student of Professor Mauri Kostiainen, has been awarded the 2026 Robert Dirks Molecular Programming Prize for her work on programmable protein architectures with nucleic acid origami.
Sami Lauronen, Axel Hedman, Eero Virmavirta, Olli Latvakoski, Elina Heikkila.jpg
Awards and Recognition Published:

Awards presented for top doctoral and master’s theses at the School of Science

In 2025, there were altogether 71 doctoral and 607 master's degrees in the School of Science. In March, seven outstanding doctoral and six master's theses were awarded.
Two people sit on a motorbike at dusk, watching distant city lights under a dark blue sky.
Awards and Recognition Published:

Sherwan Haji’s My Name is Hope has won the 2025 Jussi Award for Best Short Film

My Name is Hope is director-screenwriter-actor Sherwan Hajin’s master’s thesis film from the Department of Film at Aalto University.