Ovshinsky Retires from ECD

Stanford R. Ovshinsky, Energy Conversion Devices Inc. (ECD) co-founder, principal inventor, chief scientist and technologist, retired as an active employee and director of the company effective August 31. He founded the company in 1960 with his wife, the late Dr. Iris Ovshinsky.

“I now want to fully reengage in research and development activities, concentrating on the further development of amorphous and disordered materials and future advances in the energy and information fields.” says Ovshinsky.

Ovshinsky developed the science and technology of amorphous and disordered materials, and his pioneering work in the field has enabled commercial products in energy generation, including thin-film triple-junction photovoltaics and building-integrated PV; energy storage, including Ovonic NiMH batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles and consumer applications; and information technology, including phase-change optical media and electronic memories. He also developed roll-to-roll continuous manufacturing technology for semiconductors (including photovoltaics) and other products.

Ovshinsky has over 350 U.S. and foreign patents and is the author of over 275 scientific papers. He has been widely recognized for his contributions in photovoltaics, the hydrogen economy and in nanoscience and nanostructures. In 1999, he was named a “Hero for the Planet” by Time magazine. The Ovshinskys were named as Heroes of Chemistry 2000 by the American Chemical Society.