Dr. Yongwoo Lee, a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Electrical Engineering at KAIST, has been selected for the individual research track of the “Post-Doc. Research Fellowship” funded by the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation of Korea.
The program is designed to foster the next generation of researchers and strengthen national research capabilities. It provides multi-year research funding to promising postdoctoral researchers, enabling them to conduct innovative and challenging research under the mentorship of faculty members and grow as independent researchers.
In the 2026 individual research track, a total of 30 projects were selected nationwide in South Korea. Dr. Lee’s project is the only KAIST project selected in the ICT and Convergence Research Division, among three KAIST projects selected in total. This recognition highlights the importance and broad potential of advanced semiconductor packaging technologies. Under the mentorship of Prof. Jimin Kwon (School of Electrical Engineering & Department of AI Systems, KAIST), Dr. Lee will conduct research on “Development of Glass Substrate-Based mmWave* GaN** RF Power Amplifier*** Embedded Packaging Technology for Physical AI Humanoids.”
* mmWave: A high-frequency wireless communication band used in 5G/6G, radar, and satellite communication. / ** GaN: Gallium nitride, a semiconductor material used for high-power and high-frequency devices. / *** RF PA: Radio-frequency power amplifier, a key component that boosts wireless signal power for long-distance transmission.
The project focuses on embedding high-power RF power amplifiers into low-loss glass substrates and co-design the chip and package to reduce high-frequency signal loss and power efficiency degradation. Through this approach, the project aims to advance semiconductor packaging beyond conventional chip protection and electrical interconnection, transforming it into a functional platform that directly contributes to system-level performance improvement.
This technology is expected to be applicable not only to robotics but also to a wide range of high-performance wireless systems required for key national strategic industries, including next-generation 6G communications, satellite systems, autonomous vehicles, and quantum control.
“Advanced semiconductor packaging is no longer just a back-end process; it has become a core technology that determines overall system performance,” said Dr. Lee. “Through this project, I aim to secure fundamental RF packaging technologies based on glass substrates and develop them into an independent research field applicable to next-generation wireless systems.”
