Prof obtains YSU's first federal patent

YOUNGSTOWN

A Youngstown State University physics and astronomy professor secured the university’s first federal patent.

Tom Oder received the patent for a silicon carbide barrier diode.

“What you have in your cellphone and most of your electronics is made of silicon,” Oder said in the YSU College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics newsletter. “The problem of silicon is that it cannot withstand high temperature. So, if your device is working at a high temperature, it has got to be cooled. Otherwise, it is going to fail.”

Silicon carbide offers an alternative. Oder has obtained patents before, but it’s a first for YSU, according to the newsletter.

The announcement of Oder’s securing the patent was made to YSU trustees during a presentation Thursday about faculty research before the quarterly round of trustee committee meetings.

The University Affairs Committee approved a resolution to begin the process to fill the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences vacancy.

Another resolution to ratify personnel actions taken by the university since June 18 generated more discussion.

Read more about the discussions in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.