Zafer Mutlu

Zafer Mutlu is an assistant professor of materials science and engineering, with joint (by courtesy) appointments in electrical and computer engineering and physics at University of Arizona, where he has been selected as a Craig M. Berge Faculty Fellow and a Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing Fellow. Before joining University of Arizona, he conducted several years of postdoctoral research at University of California, Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Stanford Nano Shared Facilities (SNSF), and University of California, Riverside. He earned his PhD in materials science and engineering from University of California, Riverside, along with an MS in physics and a BS in physics education, both from Selcuk University in Türkiye.

The Mutlu group focuses on three key areas: (1) the design, synthesis, fabrication, and electrical characterization of atomically precise carbon-based nanoelectronic devices, specifically field-effect transistors (FETs) using graphene nanoribbon (GNR) semiconductors, aimed at developing high-performance, energy-efficient logic technologies beyond silicon; (2) the development of topological acoustic (TA) wave phononic devices through advanced high-throughput nano- and micro-fabrication techniques to drive advancements in radio frequency (RF) technologies; and (3) advanced electrical characterization of chalcopyrite minerals to enhance our understanding of their leaching behavior, with the primary goal of optimizing copper extraction. 

Mutlu's research has been published in highly respected journals and conferences, including IEEE IEDM, IEEE EDTM, ACS Nano, Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), Advanced Functional Materials, Nano Energy, Carbon, Small, and many others. His work is supported by a range of federal, state, and private sector sources, including National Science Foundation (NSF), Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), Department of Defense (DoD), Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR), Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF), UA Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing (CSM), UA Research, Innovation and Impact (RII), UA Foundation, and Freeport-McMoRan.