PT International
Terry Alford received a doctorate in Materials Science from Cornell University in 1991. Following three years as a semiconductor process development engineer at Texas Instruments, he joined the faculty at Arizona State University in 1993, where he is now Professor and Associate Director of the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. He also serves as the Graduate Chair for the Modern Energy Production and Sustainable Use program.
A former Texas Instruments engineer and current semiconductor consultant, Professor Alford has led projects with semiconductor device and equipment manufacturers and advised seven U.S. companies in areas including device manufacturing, materials characterization, and workforce development. His professional impact extends globally, having taught and lectured in 15 countries.
Professor Alford is a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors, with a research record that includes over 300 peer-reviewed publications, 10 patents, and two books—one on silver-metallization thin films and devices, and another on nanoscale thin-film characterization. He has also co-authored four instructional monographs widely used in undergraduate and graduate education.
With over 25 years of experience in online course delivery, Professor Alford has been a leader in integrating active learning techniques to support both degree and non-degree training in the semiconductor field. He has spearheaded the creation of ASU’s MS in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE), the Semiconductor Processing Certificate, and the Semiconductor Packaging Certificate programs. He jointly developed a semiconductor packaging course with colleagues from the Intel Corporation and delivers this course in various modalities and at multiple academic and professional levels.
Professor Alford has mentored over 30 Ph.D. and 150 MS graduates, with more than 93% of his Ph.D. students working in the semiconductor industry. He has also hosted numerous graduate researchers from Africa and continues to support both domestic and international workforce development for the semiconductor ecosystem. His current research focuses on perovskite solar cells and electrical contacts to diamond semiconductors.