# Kanti Jain
Kanti Jain is an electrical engineer and Professor Emeritus of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the [University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign) (UIUC), elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in 2009 in the [Electronics](https://www.edgepedia.org/electronics), Communication and Information Systems section. He is known for inventing and developing excimer laser lithography, a deep-ultraviolet optical patterning method that, according to his company biography, is now the dominant technology used worldwide to manufacture microchips, and for large-area lithography technologies used in flat-panel display production.[1](https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/kjain) • [2](https://www.anvik.com/kj-bio-Mar2013.html) He is also founder and President of Anvik Corporation, a microelectronics manufacturing systems company.[1](https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/kjain)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current role | Professor Emeritus of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign[1](https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/kjain) |
| NAE election | 2009, "for development of high-resolution, deep-ultraviolet excimer laser lithography for microelectronic fabrication"[1](https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/kjain) |
| Signature invention | Excimer laser lithography (invented and developed at IBM in the 1980s), described in his company biography as the dominant technology worldwide for microchip production[2](https://www.anvik.com/kj-bio-Mar2013.html) |
| Patents | 68 per the UIUC directory (65 issued/allowed, 3 pending); 70 per his own 2013 Anvik biography[1](https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/kjain) • [2](https://www.anvik.com/kj-bio-Mar2013.html) |
| Education | B.Tech. (Hons.), IIT Kharagpur, 1969; M.S., UIUC, 1970; Ph.D., UIUC, 1975; MIT Postdoctoral Fellow, 1975–1977[2](https://www.anvik.com/kj-bio-Mar2013.html) |
| Company | Founder and President of Anvik Corporation, with $21 million in external funding obtained[1](https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/kjain) |
| Fellowships | Fellow of SPIE (1993), OSA/Optica (1999), IEEE (2005), and AAAS (2013)[1](https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/kjain) |
## Education and early career
Jain received his undergraduate degree at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, earning a B.Tech. (Hons.) in 1969. He then moved to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, completing an M.S. in 1970 and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and solid-state physics in 1975.[2](https://www.anvik.com/kj-bio-Mar2013.html) After graduation he held a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](https://www.edgepedia.org/massachusetts-institute-of-technology) from 1975 to 1977.[2](https://www.anvik.com/kj-bio-Mar2013.html)
His industry career spans more than 35 years and includes positions at IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and Raychem in addition to Anvik.[2](https://www.anvik.com/kj-bio-Mar2013.html) He later joined the UIUC faculty, where he is now listed as Professor Emeritus.[1](https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/kjain)
## Excimer laser lithography
In the 1980s, at IBM, Jain invented and developed excimer laser lithography. Excimer lasers produce deep-ultraviolet light; in lithography, that light is used to pattern the fine circuit features of integrated circuits. IBM gave him two Outstanding Innovation Awards for this work, in 1985 and 1988.[1](https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/kjain) According to his company biography, the technology he developed is now the dominant technology used worldwide in the production of microchips for computers, smartphones, and other electronic devices.[2](https://www.anvik.com/kj-bio-Mar2013.html)
## Large-area lithography and recent research
In the 1990s, Jain invented large-area lithography technologies now widely used in producing high-definition televisions, monitors, and other flat-panel displays.[2](https://www.anvik.com/kj-bio-Mar2013.html) The UIUC directory identifies his patents as including core lithography technology for integrated-circuit production and this large-area lithography technology for flat-panel televisions and displays.[1](https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/kjain)
His research program at Illinois covers massively parallel maskless nanolithography, conformable lithography on nonplanar surfaces, excimer laser photoablation, laser processing of semiconductor films, large-area lithography for flexible displays, microfluidic devices, and biomolecular arrays.[1](https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/kjain)
## By the numbers
The UIUC faculty directory credits him with 68 patents (65 issued or allowed, 3 pending),[1](https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/kjain) while his own March 2013 Anvik biography states 70 patents.[2](https://www.anvik.com/kj-bio-Mar2013.html) The directory reports that Anvik Corporation, which he founded and leads, obtained $21 million in external funding.[1](https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/kjain) He is the author of the book *Excimer Laser Lithography*.[2](https://www.anvik.com/kj-bio-Mar2013.html)
## Honours and recognition
Jain was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2009, in the Electronics, Communication and Information Systems section, "for development of high-resolution, deep-ultraviolet excimer laser lithography for microelectronic fabrication."[1](https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/kjain) In 2008 he received the David Richardson Medal of the Optical Society of America (now Optica), "for pioneering contributions to the development of high-resolution optical microlithography technologies, especially for the invention and development of excimer laser lithography and systems for production of microelectronic devices."[1](https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/kjain) • [3](https://www.optica.org/History/Biographies/bios/Kanti_Jain) Optica's biography confirms his NAE election, the 2008 Richardson Medal, and his fellowship in OSA, SPIE, AAAS, and IEEE.[3](https://www.optica.org/History/Biographies/bios/Kanti_Jain) The UIUC directory gives his election years: SPIE Fellow 1993, OSA Fellow 1999, IEEE Fellow 2005, and AAAS Fellow 2013.[1](https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/kjain)
## Ventures and professional service
Jain founded Anvik Corporation and serves as its President; the company works in microelectronics manufacturing systems.[1](https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/kjain) In professional society service, he chaired the SPIE Publications Committee in 1992 and 1993, served on the SPIE Board of Directors from 1992 to 1994, and was Editor of *Microlithography World* from 1992 to 2004.[1](https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/kjain)
## References
1. [Kanti Jain | Electrical & Computer Engineering | Illinois (faculty directory)](https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/kjain)
2. [Anvik | Kanti Jain | Biographical Sketch](https://www.anvik.com/kj-bio-Mar2013.html)
3. [Kanti Jain | Optica biography](https://www.optica.org/History/Biographies/bios/Kanti_Jain)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Engineers and computer scientists › Engineers and materials scientists › Researchers in electrical engineering, semiconductors, communications, and signal processing › Semiconductor devices and technology*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026*
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