Dr. Stephen E. Saddow

Department of Electrical Engineering

Overview

Dr. Saddow’s research at the nexus of material science and biomedical engineering works to improve existing biomedical devices by harnessing the properties of bio- and hemo-compatible silicon carbide (SiC) materials to allow for new and improved in-vivo medical devices. He is internationally recognized in the field of Silicon Carbide (SiC) Biomedical Technology as one of the first scientists to demonstrate its biocompatibility and bio-versatility, and he has engineered more than a dozen related patented devices and technologies. This research led to a paradigm shift for in-vivo medical devices, as he proved SiC can replace silicon-based devices given its chemical resilience and bio/hemo-compatibility. He holds 15 patents and has published over 250 articles and books. He is a Fellow of the AIMBE, a Senior Member of IEEE and the National Academy of Inventors and was named IEEE Florida Engineering Educator of the Year. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland-College Park and is currently a guest researcher in the Molecular Imaging Branch, National Cancer Institute (NIH) where he is applying SiC nanoparticles to treat deep-tissue cancer.

Education

Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland at College Park, Dec. 1993.

M.S.E.E. NYU (formerly Polytechnic University), Brooklyn, NY, Jan. 1988.

B.S.E.E. Western New England College, Springfield MA, May 1983.

Experience

August 2006 to present: University of South Florida, Tampa, FL., Professor, Electrical Engineering Department, College of Engineering.

My research vision is to improve existing biomedical devices by harnessing the properties of bio- and hemocompatible silicon carbide (SiC) materials to allow for new and improved in-vivo medical devices. Our research is focused on replacing known silicon and metal/plastic devices with SiC, a semiconductor that is robust and does not elicit the body’s immune system response. Starting over a decade ago we began to systematically determine the biological properties of various SiC variants, which come in several forms such as amorphous, polycrystalline and single crystalline with the main single crystal types being cubic and hexagonal. Having established, without any doubt, the in-vitro biological superiority of cubic SiC over silicon and it variants, and even parylene C and similar plastics, we began to develop biomedical devices based on SiC starting with a glucose sensor for patients suffering from diabetes. Using SiC as a radio-frequency antenna, it was proven that we could monitor patient blood glucose levels in-vitro, and that the antennas did not initiate any immune system response in-vivo in female farm pigs. Current work is focused on developing both passive and active continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems based on SiC, with the active variant ideally suited for inclusion of an insulin metering system to permit long-term, CGM and glucose level regulation. At the same time we have explored the utility of cubic SiC as a neural interface and shown superior performance to materials used in commercial probes such as the Utah intracortical array or NeuroNexus planar shank-type electrodes. In-vivo studies in wild-type mice showed virtually no immune system response compared with same form-fit silicon probes. Recently we demonstrated an all-SiC planar neural interface in 4H-SiC with our partners at UT Dallas and are now developing a cubic SiC counterpart, as well as planar and implantable MEAs using this technology. A 3 year Science without Borders project with the Brazilian Government (CAPEs) at the Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, Brasil (2012-2015) was completed recently. In this project his team designed and demonstrated a custom neural recording integrated circuit chip for implantable neural interfaces. More importantly they discovered that cubic SiC is ‘MRI transparent’ which hopefully will lead the way to MRI compatible neural interfaces. This is critical for patient care for those undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) for ailments such as depression, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, etc. A new collaboration with the Italian Research Council (IMEM-Parma) and the Wigner Physics Institute (Hungarian Academy of Sciences) is focused on using SiC nanotechnology (nanowires and nanoparticles) to enable treatment of deep-tissue cancers using a National Cancer Institute (NCI) patented method whereby IR light induces cancer cell death without harming healthy cells. This work has culminated in a second book on this technology (S. E. Saddow, Editor, Silicon Carbide Biotechnology: A Biocompatible Semiconductor for Advanced Biomedical Devices and Applications, Second Edition, © 2016 Elsevier). He is a senior member of the IEEE and has over 150 publications on SiC materials and devices, and edited Advances in Silicon Carbide Processing and Applications, © 2004, Artech House. For more information on Dr. Saddow’s research activities visit http://www.eng.usf.edu/~saddow .

July 2019 to present: University of South Florida, Tampa, FL., Professor, Medical Engineering Department, College of Engineering.

August 2001 to July 2006: University of South Florida, Tampa, FL., Associate Professor, Electrical Engineering Dept., College of Engineering

Dr. Saddow established the USF SiC Group in 2001 with several faculty from the electrical and chemical engineering departments. His main research activity involved the development of two SiC chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactors used to develop SiC epitaxial layer growth processes on porous SiC, Si for robust MEMS applications and novel substrates for high-power electronic devices. Under the ONR defense university research initiative on nanotechnology (DURINT) he developed a hot-wall CVD growth capability to study novel CVD chemistries to both improve material quality and reduce growth temperature. He was a visiting professor at the Max-Planck Institute für Festkörperforschung (FKF), Grenzflächenanalytik (GA) group, where he studied SiC surfaces (spring research visits from 2004-2007).

1997 to July 2001: Mississippi State University, Miss. State, MS., Assistant Professor & Director, Emerging Materials Research Laboratory (EMRL), Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering.

Director of the Emerging Materials Research Laboratory (EMRL). Established a horizontal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system for synthesizing advanced SiC thin films. Pioneered the growth of 3C-SiC on Si substrates using LEO and was the first to report Pendeo epitaxial growth of 3C-SiC on Si(001). Developed the first Si overpressure implant anneal (IA) process in the USA and demonstrated high temperature anneals of SiC implanted regions up to 1700C. EMRL went from being unfunded when he joined MSU in Jan. 1997 to over $2M in 2001.

July 1988 to Dec. 1996: Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, MD., Senior Electronics Engineer, RF Effects and Hardening Technology Branch.

Experimentally investigate semiconductor materials which may have high-payoff to the Army in the area of high-field and power electronics. Designed, fabricated and demonstrated a hybrid optoelectronic attenuator/limiter suitable for UWB electronics protection. Performed SiC electronic impurity experimental and theoretical studies to develop high-quality SiC epitaxial layers for advanced Army electronics systems and began construction of a CVD reactor at Mississippi State University for the development of device-grade SiC epitaxial layers for electric vehicle applications.

Dec. 1994 - Dec. 1996: The University of Maryland, College Park, MD, Adjunct Research Associate- Department of Electrical Engineering. Member of Prof. Chi H. Lee’s Ultrafast Optoelectronics Research Laboratory. Develop advanced optoelectronics to support UWB technology development at ARL.

1983 to 1988: Armament R, D, & E Center, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ, Electronics Engineer, Precision Munitions Division.

Developed millimeter-wave seeker technology for advanced fire and forget precision munitions (PGM’s). COTR on two SBIRs to develop 94 GHz hardware for seekers. Member Copperhead in-house quality assurance laboratory and FASCAM scatterable mine program. Served as SADARM test coordinator at prototype helicopter drop tests, Sandia National Laboratories (spring 1984).

1982 to 1983: Electronic Coils, Inc., Springfield, MA, Product Engineer (EE-4), Engineering Development Laboratory.

Developed magnetic devices for power supply, aerospace and defense industries. Responsible for prototype design, fabrication and product improvements. Wrote production and Q/A procedures and specs. Developed novel swinging inductor design for switch-mode power supplies.

Visiting Research Positions

National and Inernational Service Conferences Organized

International Conference on SiC and Related Materials (ICSCRM’17), Washington, DC, Technical Program Committee.

Materials Research Society (MRS) 2016 Spring Meeting, Symposium EP2: Silicon Carbide: Materials, Processing, and Devices, San Francisco, CA, Symposium organizer.

Materials Research Society (MRS) 2012 Spring Meeting, Symposium H: Silicon Carbide: Materials, Processing, and Devices, San Francisco, CA, Symposium chair.

International Conference on SiC and Related Materials (ICSCRM’11), Cleveland, OH, Technical Program Committee.

Materials Research Society (MRS) 2010 Spring Meeting, Symposium B: Silicon Carbide: Materials, Processing, and Devices, San Francisco, CA, Symposium Organizer and proceedings editor.

Silicon Carbide: Growth, Processing, Characterization, Theory and Devices, Organized by R. Stahlbush, and S. E. Saddow, 2009 Electronic Materials Conference, State College, PA, June 2009.

Silicon Carbide: Growth, Processing, Characterization, Theory and Devices, Organized by R. Stahlbush, and S. E. Saddow, 2008 Electronic Materials Conference, Santa Barbara, CA, June 2008.

Silicon Carbide: Growth, Processing, Characterization, Theory and Devices, Organized by M. Capano, R. Stahlbush, and S. E. Saddow, 2007 Electronic Materials Conference, Notre Dame University, S. Bend IN, June 2007.

International Conference on SiC and Related Materials (ICSCRM’05), Pittsburgh, PA, Technical Program Committee and proceedings lead editor, 2005.

Materials Research Society (MRS) 2004 Spring Meeting, Symposium J: Silicon Carbide: Materials, Processing, and Devices, Boston MA, Symposium Organizer.

Materials Research Society (MRS) 2002 Fall Meeting, Symposium K: Silicon Carbide: Materials, Processing, and Devices, Boston MA, Symposium Chair.

Porous Semiconductors: Fabrication, Properties, and Applications, Organized by S. E. Saddow and R. M. Feenstra, 2002 Electronic Materials Conference, Santa Barbara, California, June 26 - 28, 2002.

ONR International Workshop: Subsurface Substrate and Interface Damage in Wide Gap Semiconductors: Device Effects and Elimination, ONR Road Block Workshop, Workshop Chairman, 5-10 August 2001, Kodiak, AK.

Emerging Solid-State Switch Technologies, Short Course taught at the 24th International Modulator Symposium, June 26, 2000 Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel, Norfolk, VA.

Invited Papers and Presentations

- 2019 Seminar, University of Padua, Padua (Italy)
- 2019 Webinar, Neural Interfaces: Nanoscience, and Materials Technology, sited @IMM-CNR, Catania, Sicily (IT)
- 2018 Seminar, Hebrew University, Jerusalem (Israel)
- 2018 Seminar, FORTH, Uni. Heraklion, Crete (Greece)
- 2018 Seminar, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Colombia, MD (USA)
- 2018 Seminar, NeuroNexus, LLC, Ann Arbor, MI (USA)
- 2018 Eurobiosensors 2018, Dublin (Ireland)
- 2017 Visiting Professor, Grenoble (FR)
- 2017 Grenoble French-American Workshop, Grenoble (FR)
- 2016 Electrochemical Society fall meeting, PRIME, Honolulu, HA (USA)
- 2016 CIMTEC, Materials Nanotechnologies for Implantable Neural Interfaces, Perugia (Italy)
- 2016 Seminar, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT@NEST), Pisa, Italy
- 2014 IEEE NMD workshop, Giardini Naxos, Sicily (Italy)
- 2013 Electrochemical Society fall meeting, San Francisco CA (USA)
- 2012 Workshop on Advanced Cybernetics, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Carlos (BR)
- 2011 Electrochemical Society fall meeting, Boston MA (USA)
- 2010 Seminar, 10 December Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Sao Carlos (Brasil)
- 2010 IEEE EMBC invited keynote lecture, Buenos Aires (Argentina)
- 2010 XXXIII Encontro Nacional de Fisica da Materia Condensada, Aguas de Lindoia (Brasil)
- 2008 Physics of Advanced Materials Winter School, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki (Greece)
- 2007 Hetero-SiC'07 workshop, Grenoble (France)
- 2007 Int’l Workshop on Adv. Semi Matls and Devices for Power Elec. (WASMPE 2007), Olbia, Sardegna (Italy)
- 2006 Materials Res. Soc. Meeting, (Symp. B – SiC), San Francisco, CA (USA)
- 2005 13th Int’l Workshop on the Physics of Semicon. Dev., New Delhi (India)
- 2004 Int’l Symp. on Adv. Matl’s and Proc. ISAMAP2K4, Kharagpur, (India)

Honors & Awards

Appointed Guest Researcher, National Cancer Institute, group of Dr. P. Choyke, MD Aug 2020-present
Appointed Collaborating Scientist, BEAR beamline, Elettra Trieste, Italy (2019-present)
IEEE Florida Engineering Educator of the Year (2011)
IEEE Senior Member
Eta Kappa Nu - The Electrical Engineering Honor Society.
Ralph Powe Research Award, Sigma Xi, Miss. State Chapter, April 2000.
Hearing Professor of Engineering (1999-2000)
Army Research Laboratory Engineering Award (1995)
Army Research Laboratory Commanders Award (for service) (1995)

Professional Memberships and Services to Societies

Section Associate Editor, Section E: Engineering and Technology, Micromachines
Fellow AIMBE (class of 2021) for pioneering SiC Biomedical technology
Senior Member National Academy of Inventors/Member charter class
Senior Member IEEE
IEEE EMB Society: Florida West Coast Section
Florida West Coast EMBS Chapter Chair 2013-16
IEEE MTT Society Past Chair (1993-94), ADCOM, Wash. DC/N. VA chapter (1988-1996)
Materials Research Society, organized technical symposia on SiC and related technology from 2002 – 2016 (alternate years)
Electronic Materials Conference, organized three (3) conferences
Technical Program Committee, International Conference on SiC and Related Materials

Service to Universities and Student Mentorship

Elected to USF Faculty Senate, 2005-2008
Dr. Saddow regularly mentors 4-6 undergraduate students/semester and 1-2 Master’s students in addition to his doctoral students.

Student Mentorship
Graduated 16 PhD students since 2005, 8 male and 8 female. In addition, I hosted doctoral research in my laboratory for two (2) students from Sicily, one (1) from Italy and one (1) from Mexico. Served as PhD opponent on dissertations from Sweden (2014) and France (2019), and international review (Australia). Students graduated were from the USA, India, Italy, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Bolivia and a Haitian-American, while current students in my group are from Iran, China and the USA. I have sponsored students (J1 visa process) from Italy and Sicily, Brasil, Colombia and Mexico.

Service to the Community

Dr. Saddow regularly interacts with the local community in the Tampa Bay region and this is done in several ways. First he routinely provides laboratory tours and information sessions to middle and high school students (approx.. 4-6 site visits to his laboratory each semester). He also visits local high schools to talk about the wonderful world of biomedical engineering (typically one visit/year) and each summer has organized and delivered a Pre-College Biomedical Engineering program for up and coming high school students. This program typically draws students predominately from the Tampa Bay region, but normally includes students across the USA, Europe and Central/South America. This program continues to grow and was slated for a third week this summer to focus on future medical students.