DFT Microsystems Co-Founders Receive IEEE Honors; Gordon Roberts, CTO, named IEEE Fellow; Kenneth Laker, VP, Receives Richard M. Emberson Award.

NORRISTOWN, Pa. -- DFT Microsystems (www.dftmicrosystems.com), an industry leader in the design, development, sale and support of high-performance, unique mixed-signal and jitter test measurement devices, announced that two of their top executives have been awarded honors by the IEEE. CTO of DFT Microsystems, Canada, and company co-founder, Gordon Roberts, Ph.D, was made an IEEE Fellow. Company co-founder, Kenneth Laker, Ph.D, VP of Strategic Planning, DFT Microsystems, was named the recipient of the Richard M. Emberson Award, for distinguished service. With over 360,000 members in 175 countries, the IEEE is the world's leading authority in electrical engineering research and standards.

The IEEE cited Dr. Roberts for his, "contributions to the design and test of analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits, and education." Dr. Roberts is currently on leave from McGill University, where he holds the James McGill Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering. DFT Microsystems was founded to develop technology that arose from research conducted over the past ten years by Dr. Roberts and his team of students at McGill, many of whom now hold senior roles in the company.

"Becoming an IEEE Fellow is one of the pinnacles of my career," said Dr. Roberts. "We've been fortunate to have focused on good problems and come up with answers that benefit the field of Electrical Engineering."

The IEEE named 260 Fellows this year, recognizing engineers whose accomplishments have influenced the work of their peers. Considered to be one of the primary honors in electrical engineering, IEEE Fellows are a select group, limited each year to one tenth of one percent of the organization's membership. Fellowships are lifetime awards.

In selecting Kenneth Laker, Ph.D, for the Richard M. Emberson Award, the board cited, "his vision and leadership on behalf of the Institute's technical and educational activities, particularly electronic delivery of technical and educational information." Dr. Laker has worked in the field of analog signal processing and Integrated Circuit design/test for over 30 years. He is a DFT Microsystems co-founder and the Alfred Fitler Moore Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. He has been a Fellow of the IEEE since 1983, was a past President of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society and a past President of the IEEE.

"Conducting research is crucial, but it is equally important to empower the scientific community," said Dr. Laker. "IEEE provides a forum where ideas can be exchanged and minds nurtured. And I am deeply proud to be a part of it."

The Richard M. Emberson Award has been given each year since 1986 to recognize members, "for distinguished service to the development, viability, advancement, and pursuit of the technical objectives of the IEEE." Dr. Richard M. Emberson was a former Executive Director, General Manager and Member of the Board of Directors of the IEEE, whose 23 year involvement with the Institute set a standard for service, particularly in its technical activities.

"Both Dr. Roberts and Dr. Laker are inspiring men to work with," said Mohamed M. Hafed, Ph.D., Senior Member of DFT Microsystems' Technical Staff, and former student of Dr. Roberts. "They are committed to solving the highest level testing problems, and they are both equally dedicated to passing on their wealth of knowledge to the future innovators of the field."

About DFT Microsystems, Inc.

DFT Microsystems delivers a breakthrough in semiconductor test cost and performance via on-board, high throughput, mixed-signal and jitter test modules. Our patented measurement and localized signal processing technology extends the high-performance capabilities and economic life of any ATE platform. Our test modules provide solutions that dramatically reduce test cost and accelerate time-to-volume. For more information, visit www.dftmicrosystems.com.