Dr. Rositza Yakimova is a distinguished Materials Scientist and Professor Emerita at Linköping University in Sweden, where she has made seminal contributions to semiconductor physics and technology. She earned her master's degree and PhD in semiconductor physics and technology from the renowned Electro-technical University in St. Petersburg, Russia, establishing the foundation for her four-decade career in advanced materials research. Since 1993, she has played a leading role in developing the Fast Sublimation Growth Process at Linköping University, designing the first SiC sublimation growth reactors in Sweden through collaboration with Epiquip AB. Her expertise spans the growth of compound semiconductor materials, particularly silicon carbide, with groundbreaking work that has positioned her as an internationally recognized authority in the field. Following her tenure at Okmetic from 1995 to 1999, she transitioned to academia where she established herself as a visionary researcher and mentor.
Professor Yakimova's pioneering research has fundamentally advanced the science of crystal growth, particularly in silicon carbide and aluminum nitride semiconductors, with over 500 scientific publications documenting her extensive contributions to the field. She pioneered the development of large area homogeneous graphene on silicon carbide through thermal decomposition, a breakthrough technique that gained significant attention following the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Novoselov and Geim for graphene research. Her expertise made her the critical supplier of graphene for the ConceptGraphene project, one of the first EU initiatives aiming at wafer scale electronics, establishing her as a key player in the European graphene research landscape. The manufacturing processes she developed have enabled the production of high-quality semiconductor materials essential for next-generation electronic devices, with applications spanning power electronics, sensors and quantum technologies.
As co-founder of Graphensic AB in 2011, Professor Yakimova transformed her academic research into a successful commercial venture, establishing the company as the first European supplier of epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide with a mission to become a global leader in wafer scale graphene production. She has served as a principal investigator in the Graphene Flagship's materials work package and contributed to numerous European research initiatives including EUROGRAPHENE, FP7 and EMRP, demonstrating her continued leadership in the field despite her emeritus status. Her collaborative approach has fostered strong connections between academia and industry, with Graphensic's team leveraging over 50 years of collective experience in epitaxial graphene research to advance manufacturing capabilities. Today, her legacy continues through the ongoing development of large area electronic-grade graphene, with her original high temperature graphene process serving as the foundation for Graphensic's mission to supply the global semiconductor industry with high-performance graphene materials.
