Significant Advancements in Air Traffic Management, Microelectronics, and Laser Technology Recognized as IEEE Milestones
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has commemorated three groundbreaking innovations developed at Lincoln Laboratory over the past six decades, each significantly benefiting humanity. The honoured technologies include the Mode S air traffic control (ATC) radar beacon system, 193-nanometer (nm) photolithography, and the semiconductor laser.
Mode S Radar Beacon System
Mode S (Selective) radar, an air traffic control technology, improves communication between aircraft and ground radar by providing selective interrogation and data exchange. Introduced to enhance air traffic surveillance, it allows precise identification and tracking of aircraft, improving situational awareness and collision avoidance capabilities. Mode S transponders are required in various aircraft categories and support ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) extended squitter functions, critical to modern airspace management systems that integrate manned and unmanned aircraft operations.
193-nanometer Photolithography
This advanced photolithography technique, used in semiconductor manufacturing, enables the creation of extremely small feature sizes on integrated circuits, essential for modern high-performance electronics. The use of 193 nm wavelength light sources in lithography marked a breakthrough, allowing for tighter patterning and scaling beyond previous limits. This technology was instrumental in driving the semiconductor industry’s continued device miniaturization under Moore’s Law.
Semiconductor Laser Technologies
Semiconductor lasers, based on semiconductor materials, have become fundamental for fiber optic communications, barcode readers, laser printers, and various sensing applications. Their development enabled compact, efficient, and cost-effective coherent light sources. Semiconductor lasers were critical in telecommunications and digital technologies, revolutionizing data transmission and information processing.
The IEEE Milestones program honours these innovations because each has fundamentally shaped modern technology and society. Mode S radar beacon systems transformed air traffic control safety and efficiency, supporting the integration of ADS-B and enhancing airspace situational awareness, crucial for today's complex air traffic environments. 193-nm photolithography pushed the limits of semiconductor miniaturization, enabling the mass production of advanced microchips that power contemporary electronics and computing. Semiconductor lasers revolutionized optical communication and various optoelectronic applications, driving the information age forward.
The ceremony, held in the auditorium at Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, Massachusetts, in 2024, was a touching celebration of the legacy of the inventors. Richard Rediker, a son of semiconductor laser inventor Robert Rediker, accepted the semiconductor laser plaque alongside Susan Zeiger and Robert Lax, children of co-inventors Herbert Zeiger and Benjamin Lax respectively. Vincent Orlando, who devoted his 50-year career at the Laboratory to developing Mode S technology, joined Lincoln Laboratory Director Eric Evans to accept the award for Mode S air traffic control technology.
Today, Mode S is a worldwide industry standard with an estimated 100,000 aircraft equipped with Mode S transponders and more than 900 Mode S radars deployed globally. The low cost and manufacturability of semiconductor lasers have been crucial for technologies like streaming movies to homes and searching for restaurants on phones.
These pioneering technologies represent landmark innovations in their respective fields, recognized by the IEEE as Milestones for their historical impact and innovation.
- The Mode S radar, an air traffic control technology developed by Lincoln Laboratory, provides selective interrogation and data exchange between aircraft and ground radar, enhancing air traffic surveillance, improving situational awareness, and collision avoidance capabilities.
- The development of 193-nanometer photolithography at Lincoln Laboratory played a crucial role in semiconductor manufacturing, enabling the creation of small feature sizes on integrated circuits, essential for modern high-performance electronics.
- Semiconductor lasers, based on semiconductor materials, have become indispensable for fiber optic communications, barcode readers, laser printers, and various sensing applications, driving the information age forward.
- The Mode S air traffic control technology and semiconductor laser innovations developed at Lincoln Laboratory have been recognized as IEEE Milestones, impacting modern technology and society significantly.
