The object
Tsu-Jae King Liu co-developed the FinFET, a three-dimensional transistor architecture that controls current through a thin raised channel. The physical device made continued transistor scaling practical and is used in leading-edge microprocessor chips, enabling dense, energy-efficient computing hardware rather than merely a laboratory concept.
01
What Tsu-Jae did
Co-developed the fin-shaped field-effect transistor architecture for nanoscale integrated circuits.
02
Why it matters
Berkeley Engineering says FinFETs are used in all leading-edge microprocessor chips and can place more than 10 billion transistors per square centimeter.
03
Living-status check
Liu’s Berkeley faculty page, updated February 2026, lists her as distinguished professor emerita and records 2024-25 awards.