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Research Group
Principal Investigator
Hyunseok Kim (hyunseok@illinois.edu)
Assistant Professor
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Department of Materials Science & Engineering
Holonyak Micro & Nanotechnology Laboratory
Hyunseok Kim is an assistant professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research interests includes materials development of compound semiconductors and 2D materials, mixed-dimensional heterostructures for novel physical phenomena and coupling, and heterogeneous integration technologies for electronic, optoelectronic, and photonic device platforms. He received his B.S. and M.S. in EECS from Seoul National University, and Ph.D. in ECE from UCLA. After Ph.D., he worked as a research scientist and a postdoctoral associate at MIT, until he joined UIUC in Spring 2024.
Graduate Students
Jun Young Jeon (jyjeon3 at illinois.edu)
Hello everyone! I’m currently pursuing a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering, having earned my B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Yonsei University in 2024. My main areas of interest are semiconductor physics, novel device fabrication process and bioelectronics. I’m driven by the vision that the devices I develop will one day make a significant impact on people’s lives worldwide. If you share this passion or are intrigued by this journey, I’d love to connect and explore the possibilities together!
Ze-Wei Chen (zeweic3 at illinois.edu)
Hi, I'm Zewei Chen, a Ph.D. student in the ECE department with a B.S. degree from National Taiwan University. I am familiar with device fabrication and device physics. Currently, my research focuses on the integration of 2D to 3D semiconductor structures. I'm passionate about exploring innovative solutions in electronics and contributing to the development of cutting-edge technologies.
Jisung Seo (jisungs2 at illinois.edu)
I am a Ph.D. student in Materials Science and Engineering with an M.S. from Purdue University and a B.S. from the University of Florida. My research focuses on wide bandgap III-nitride semiconductors, 2D materials, and heterogeneous integration enabled by advanced exfoliation and bonding techniques. I am interested in semiconductor materials to achieve high-performance electronic and optoelectronic devices. Outside the lab, I enjoy playing tennis, running, working out, and hiking. I welcome opportunities to connect and collaborate!
Batu Yesilyurt (batuy2 at illinois.edu)
Hi, I'm a PhD electrical engineering student. I received my B.S. from UIUC in 2025. I am interested in semiconductor physics, optoelectronics, and device fabrication. I'm excited to contribute to the future of the semiconductor industry. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Undergraduate Students
Zidan Cai (zidanc2 at illinois.edu)
Hi, I am an undergraduate at UIUC majoring in Materials Science and Engineering and Physics, and my main interests are low-dimensional materials, semiconductor devices, and quantum mechanics. I’m excited about learning beyond textbooks and seeing theory become tangible in experiments, and I hope to contribute to the group by helping with semiconductor-related research while continuing to learn and build hands-on experience. I also enjoy traditional Chinese painting and practicing taekwondo.
Sean Chen (seanc8 at illinois.edu)
Hi, I’m Sean Chen, an Electrical Engineering major at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. I am interested in learning and researching next generation transistor technology like CFET and 3D transistors from physics, materials science, manufacturing processes, and equipment development perspectives. Apart from school and lab, I do enjoy going to the gym and traveling across the globe.
Postdoctoral Scholars
Dr. Qi Chen (chenq at illinois.edu)
Dr. Qi Chen received her Ph.D. in Microelectronics and Solid-State Electronics from the Institute of Semiconductors, CAS, in 2025. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on the MOCVD growth of III-nitride materials, 2D/3D interface engineering, and integration strategies. She is interested in developing remote and van der Waals epitaxy of nitrides, as well as exploring heterogeneous integration through direct growth approaches.
Dr. Dante Ahn (danteahn at illinois.edu)
Dante Ahn received her Ph.D. from Korea University. Her prior research focuses on advanced optoelectronic and ferroelectric materials for multi-functional photonic devices and low-power transistors, alongside direct patterning and in situ characterization methodologies. She is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at Jeonbuk National University. Her current research interest at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) is directed toward the heterogeneous integration of 3D/2D material architectures to develop next-generation optoelectronic and photonic devices.
Visiting Scholars
Prof. Wook-Jae Lee (wjlee77 at illinois.edu)
Wook-Jae Lee is a visiting scholar from Kongju National University, where he serves as a Professor in the Department of Data Information and Physics. His prior research encompasses silicon photonics for communication, computing, and sensor applications. His current research interest is directed toward the integration of silicon photonics platforms—such as Silicon Nitride (SiN) and related components—into device-to-system level applications for quantum technology.
Seok Hyun Yoon (yoonsh at illinois.edu)
Seok Hyun Yoon is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH). His research focuses on the device physics, simulation, and fabrication of RF acoustic wave devices based on 2D materials. He is currently a Visiting Researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), exploring III-Nitride growth, device fabrication, and heterogeneous integration, including 3D-on-2D device architectures.
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