An MS&E alum contributes to tech and community

How Cyprian Uzoh’s work epitomizes the Wisconsin Idea, impacting the world

What happens at UW-Madison shouldn’t stay at UW-Madison. Instead, Badgers are called to make an impact on the state, nation and world. That’s according to the Wisconsin Idea, a philosophy embraced by students, faculty and alumni for over a century. 

Writing over 40 publications in technology journals and holding more than 380 utility patents in the U.S. and more than 700 utility patents worldwide, one MS&E alum epitomizes the Wisconsin Idea: Cyprian Emeka Uzoh.

With many notable awards including New York Intellectual Property Association’s “Inventor of the Year” in 2006 and Top Ten Magazine’s “Diaspora Nigerian Professional of the Year” in 2023, many people have recognized Uzoh’s inventions and technological accomplishments. Few, however, have discussed his connection to Wisconsin and his commitment to community development. 

At the root of all his accolades, Uzoh deeply cares about his family, community and the next generation. Through each of his inventions, he strives to make the world a better place. 

Making an impact to the extent that Uzoh requires great curiosity – a trait he developed in school.

Pursuing education

Uzoh grew up in Nigeria, attending both primary and secondary school there. Finishing school after the Nigerian Civil War, he decided to further his education in aeronautical engineering or metallurgy in the U.S. 

After obtaining a scholarship to study metallurgical engineering, he was admitted to several U.S. universities. Uzoh chose to study metallurgical engineering at UW-Madison’s in the Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering (now renamed the Department of Materials Science and Engineering). Here, he found great mentorship in his advisers, the late Professor Richard Heine and Professor Carl Loper. He also took classes outside and beyond his requirements to become a more well-rounded student. 

A lifelong student, Uzoh constantly questioned himself on his various projects. “How can I improve this concept? Can I make it less expensive? Can I make it faster and more reliable?”

Uzoh continued to ask these questions, graduating from UW-Madison in 1978. He then received a full ride from NASA and the Airforce Office of Scientific Research to pursue his PhD in materials science at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. There, he was recruited by IBM T. J Watson Laboratory in Yorktown Heights, New York. 
He was assigned a highly confidential project – how to fill submicron cavities with copper.  He then discovered metal super filling by electrolytic methods in submicron cavities. His discovery helped a 30-year-old problem in the semiconductor industry, figuring out how to incorporate copper into microchips. In 1997, Uzoh’s team won the race, developing microscopic copper wires for computer microchips.

Copper interconnect technology revolutionized the tech industry. With copper wires, internal electrical communication within semiconductor chips are more efficient and reliable. The microchips can be made smaller, compared to the aluminum wiring that it substantially replaced. While other engineers have attempted to replace the copper wire, no other materials have proven to be as effective and economical in computer chips.

Copper wires are embedded in our daily lives, including in our cell phones, laptops, desktops, servers, super computers and more. But Uzoh did not stop with that invention. 

Uzoh left IBM in 1999 for NuTool Inc., where he discovered metal super filling in large metal cavities. Since then, he has continued giving back to the community through his inventions and entrepreneurial spirit.

Giving back

In 1999, Uzoh relocated to Silicon Valley, where he continued to solve complex problems with multiple tech companies. Today, he remains the co-founder of Emeka Tech Inc., a biotechnology startup company that focuses on developing eco-friendly and sustainable products. 

Emeka Tech Inc. co-founder Dr. Emeka Nchekwube has known Uzoh for over 20 years. One of Emeka Tech’s biggest contributions has been a device that traps pests with compostable attractants, which can then be converted into soil to grow food. The invention entitled “Lord of the Flies Trap” is eco-friendly and helps farmers have higher crop yields.

The pair also created an invention called “Lord of the Pests.” An easily degradable insecticide formulated to target mushroom pests (verticillium, sciarid fly and phorid fly), it is far less toxic to humans. While the product was initially developed for mushroom farmers in the U.S., Uzoh and Nchekwube are working with Nigerian investors to commercialize it and the “Lord of the Flies Trap.” Doing so will allow large-scale farms to benefit from their invention. 

According to Nchekwube, working with Uzoh on projects like Lord of the Pests serves as a testament to Uzoh’s character.

“He sees things that other people can’t see,” Nchekwube says. “He is an astute observer of the physical world, trying to glean knowledge from it that can be deployed to improve the human condition.” 

Uzoh has given back to the Nigerian community in other ways too. Over the last three years, he has worked with Amaka Awogu on learning therapy to Ojoto, Nigeria, where the indigenes, including children, have been exposed to insurgence, insecurity, killings and kidnapping. 

Their outreach includes a reading program, where children are taught to read and play games for the first time. Their most recent project included bringing the Red Cross in to teach women and children basic life support training. The community embraced these events and provided Uzoh with an honorary Chieficieny title. 

Awogu says that his personal touches from Scrabble to Sudoku have become hallmarks of all his initiatives. He is always focused on the solution, not the problem, according to Awogu. “He proposes an opportunity and takes it to the next level.” 

His impact and commitment to giving do not go unnoticed. For Uzoh, serving others all comes back to the Wisconsin Idea: “I’m trying to use my skills from Madison to give back.”

Making a difference

Considering his technological inventions and community mindset, it is clear that Uzoh has positively impacted the state, nation and world. Despite reaching “retirement age,” Uzoh does not plan on slowing down any time soon. 

“Our work is highly competitive because you have to stay ahead of the crowd,” he says. “I still have fun with it.” 

Having a competitive side and working with the next generation keeps Uzoh young. He currently advises undergraduate students through Adeia, a company that strives to solve technological challenges. He also remains active as Emeka Tech Inc.’s co-founder, while planning events in Nigeria with Awogu. 

Beyond his work, Uzoh says his family is a key part of his legacy. He and his wife Molly have three girls: Nneka, Amaka and Nwakaego. Each went on to study at prestigious universities, including Harvard, Northwestern, MIT and Wharton.

As a first-generation college student, this makes Uzoh extremely proud. Looking back on his college career, he is happy to have started his engineering journey at UW-Madison. Back then, he couldn’t have planned for the impact he was going to have. Today, he is proud to continue sifting and winnowing in an effort to positively influence the people around him.

To support students currently enrolled in Materials Science and Engineering, so that they can impact others like Uzoh has, please consider giving to our lab campaign.

Further details about Uzoh’s inventions

Uzoh was named New York Intellectual Property Association’s “Inventor of the Year” in 2006 for the invention of bottom-up metal filling in submicron holes (U.S. patent US6946716B2, “Electroplated interconnection structures on integrated circuit Chips”). 

The slide below explains how the invention works.

While at IBM T. J Watson Research Laboratory, the original experimental copper electroplating work was conducted on semiconductor wafers having 0.7 micron trenches and vias. In 1992, Uzoh demonstrated the extendibility of copper interconnect to 0.1 micron features on 200 mm wafers. Later at NuTool Inc. in California, he extended the technology to 0.04 micron feature with aspect ratios higher than 10 on 300 mm wafers.  Uzoh’s consequential discoveries formed the core foundations of advanced metalization technologies typically used for wiring in images sensors, microprocessors (CPUs), graphicprocessors (GPUa), memories, high bandwidth memories (HBMs), Hybrid bonding technologies etc. 

Within six months, Uzoh discovered the bottom selective growth of copper in submicron features when he added some special additive to his electroless plating bath. Later he applied his discoveries from his electroless copper plating experience to his copper electroplating experiments in submicron cavities.
For additional information about Uzoh’s work, explore these comprehensive lists on his inventions and patents.

Read more stories about alumni and students on the MS&E Blog.

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