[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 7981-7982]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORS FOR STAN AND IRIS OVSHINSKY

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, this weekend, two very special 
people, Stan and Iris Ovshinsky, will be honored by the Workmen's 
Circle/Arbeter Ring, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving 
Jewish heritage and Yiddish culture, and to pursuing social and 
economic justice.
  The organization's selection of Stan and Iris is most fitting. Their 
work on behalf of social causes and their love of Yiddish culture has 
been a constant part of their lives. But what makes Stan and Iris so 
special is that theirs is also a great love story. Stan and Iris met, 
fell very much in love, married and dedicated themselves to ``Tikkun 
Olam,'' the Jewish belief in the responsibility to ``repair the world'' 
and leave it a better place for future generations. Their steadfast 
commitment to Tikkun Olam is nowhere more evident than in their work 
together at Energy Conversion Devices (ECD), the materials technology 
company they founded in Troy, Michigan in 1960 when they joined their 
lives together.
  Stan, a self-taught inventor/scientist who never attended college, 
began working in the field of amorphous and disordered materials in 
1955, when the scientific community regarded them as of little 
scientific interest. Iris, who has a PhD in biochemistry, joined him in 
his work after they met. Stan and Iris proved that these materials were 
of great value scientifically and technologically. Stan's initial paper 
describing their properties has become one of the five most cited 
publications in the history of the prestigious Physical Review Letters. 
That and subsequent papers, some co-authored with Iris, led to a new 
field of scientific study.
  From the beginning, Stan and Iris understood the significance of 
their discoveries. They saw a future in which new engineered materials 
could be used to improve people's lives, solve societal problems and 
build new industries. They committed themselves and ECD to that vision 
and never wavered from it. Always on the cutting edge, often ahead of 
their time, they have stayed the course. Today, ECD holds over 350 
active U.S. patents and over 800 corresponding foreign patients. 
Amorphous semiconductors and other engineered amorphous and disordered 
materials are now widely used in an array of products, many of which 
have been developed and commercialized at ECD.
  Three technologies exemplify the Ovshinskys' ingenuity and commitment 
to their vision:

[[Page 7982]]

  Amorphous Silicon Photovoltaics (PV): The Ovshinskys were determined 
to develop a practical and affordable method of generating electric 
power from the sun, and pioneered the use of amorphous silicon 
materials to reduce materials costs and energy used in a highly 
innovative roll-to-roll solar cell production process. Award winning 
products using their technologies are already in the marketplace.
  Ovonuc Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries: The ``Ovonic'' battery is a 
high performing, nontoxic rechargeable nickel metal hydride (NiMH) 
battery. NiMH batteries are replacing nickel cadmium batteries used in 
portable electronic devices. Determined to develop products of benefit 
to society, the Ovshinskys led their company into developing the 
battery for advanced vehicle technologies to ease growing concerns over 
air pollution. NiMH batteries are the advanced electric vehicle battery 
of choice of major auto manufacturers.
  Computer Information Storage Materials and Devices: The phase change 
erasable semiconductor materials developed by the Ovshinskys have 
become the standard in rewritable optical discs. Similar materials 
employing the same physics show the potential for use in electronic 
devices that can help the United States recapture its former dominant 
position in semiconductor memories.
  The totality of Stan and Iris's achievements is remarkable. They 
pioneered a new branch of science and then successfully applied this 
science to develop new technologies and commercial products having 
significant impacts on the energy and information industries. Because 
of their efforts to solve major problems through science and 
technology, the world will be a better place. Now in their 70s, their 
work and their commitment continue unabated, as does their obvious love 
for and delight in one another.

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