IEEE Solid-States Circuits Magazine - Spring 2021 - 100

PEOPLE
In Step With Alvin Loke
Dedicated, Driven Longtime SSCS Member
F
For longtime IEEE Solid-State Circuits
Society (SSCS) member Alvin Loke,
SSCS has always been a staple of his professional
and personal life. The Society
has been constant, staying with him
through cross-country moves and
life changes.
Loke is a technical director at NXP
Semiconductors, which he joined in
September 2020. He has several roles
at NXP, working with analog/mixedsignal/radio-frequency
circuit and
layout designers to help them design
more effectively in finFET CMOS nodes,
down to 5 nm, through understanding
these technologies, the design challenges
imposed, and ways to overcome/mitigate
these challenges.
" This has been a good opportunity,
especially in any new job, to quickly
build relationships and trust with my
new colleagues, " Loke said of his role
at NXP. As Loke has been settling into
his role, he is increasingly involved
in 5-nm design methodologies and
some analog/mixed-signal circuit
development. " Given my involvement
in SSCS and resulting relationships
with academia, I also path-find for
new R&D areas as well as help to
improve the technical vitality among
NXP engineers, " Loke said.
Prior to joining NXP, Loke worked
at Agilent, Advanced Micro Devices,
Qualcomm, and Taiwan Semiconductor
Manufacturing Company. Loke
received his B.A.Sc. degree in engiDigital
Object Identifier 10.1109/MSSC.2021.3072300
Date of current version: 24 June 2021
100 SPRING 2021
neering physics from his hometown
University of British Columbia and
his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical
engineering from Stanford University.
Upon graduating, he spent
several years in CMOS process integration.
Since 2001, he has worked on
analog/mixed-signal design, focusing
on a variety of wireline links, design/
model/technology interface, and analog
design methodologies
Loke's involvement with SSCS
spans years, and he has served in
several roles. Loke became an SSCS
member in 2002, not knowing what
it would lead him to. At the time,
he didn't know much about the
Society, but joining was the logical
step as his career transitioned from
technology development to circuit
design. As a first step, Loke decided
to get involved with the newly
formed SSCS Denver Chapter in Fort
Collins, Colorado.
" What made the experience so fun
and rewarding was the amazing team
of dedicated Chapter volunteers: my
wife, Tin Tin Wee, and Bob Barnes,
Don McGrath, and Bruce Doyle, "
Loke said. In ten years, the Chapter
organized more than 90 seminars,
many by famous and prolific
experts in the SSCS community. As
chair of the Chapter, Loke and fellow
Chapter leaders took full advantage
of the SSCS Distinguished Lecturer
(DL) program to annually host many
out-of-town speakers on a modest
Chapter budget. These efforts led
to the Chapter receiving the SSCS
Outstanding Chapter Award in 2005.
Loke's work with local Chapters has
led to his currently serving as SSCS
Chapters Coordinator.
The connections and friendFUN
FACTS ABOUT LOKE
■ Loke loves to woodwork, maintain his
cars, and pursue do-it-yourself home
projects.
■ Loke crossed the Arctic Circle while
on a Canadian hydrographic research
ship that sailed from Vancouver
Island through the Pacific, around
Alaska, and into the Beaufort Sea.
■ Loke's wife, Tin Tin, is also a circuit
designer with the same background
in CMOS process integration. She
was Loke's mentor when they worked
together in a fabricator in Singapore.
ships Loke made as a Chapter officer
restored his confidence to publish,
which he had lost after several years
in fabrication manufacturing and
product design development. This
newfound confidence gave him the
push to publish his work at the IEEE
Custom ICs Conference (CICC) and
in IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.
Loke spent seven years on the
CICC Technical Program Committee
(2006-2012). During this time,
he served as IC Manufacturing Subcommittee
chair and Sponsorship
chair. Since CICC has a strong reputation
as an education conference,
this was a great opportunity for
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IEEE Solid-States Circuits Magazine - Spring 2021

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