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Department of Mechanical Engineering

Michael Zimmerman

Professor of the Practice
Research and Characterization of Composites and Polymers Lab

Michael Zimmerman

Professor of the Practice
Research and Characterization of Composites and Polymers Lab

Phone 617-627-3239
504 Boston Avenue, Room 202
Medford, MA
Biography: 

Michael Zimmerman spent 14 years at Bell Labs, where he rose to the highest technical level (the top 1% of technical community). His areas of expertise are polymer innovation and polymer processing, semiconductor packaging, and electronic and optical materials. He started his own company, QLP, Inc., after inventing a new liquid crystal polymer technology, and developed products in the area of semiconductor packages, new printed circuit board materials, and revolutionary materials for replacing metals in automobiles. He ultimately sold the company to multinational company Interplex Industries.

For over 20 years, Zimmerman has taught at Tufts in the areas of materials science, manufacturing, and finite element analysis, and he has developed new classes on polymer science and composite materials. He has developed projects for over 15 graduate students and has hired many of them. Currently, he is involved in new funded research related to energy storage materials.

Education: 
Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, 1988
M.S., Mechanical Engineering, MIT, 1981
B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Research Interests: 

Michael Zimmerman's areas of expertise are in materials, processing, design for manufacture, computer simulations, new product ideas, and electronic packaging. He is an entrepreneur with extensive international work experience in Europe and Asia.

Selected Honors and Awards: 
2011: Named Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers
2008: Best Paper Award, IMAPS Advanced Technology Workshop
2000: Named Consulting Member of Technical Staff, Bell Labs/Lucent Technologies
2000: President's Award, Bell Labs/Lucent Technologies
1999: Gold Award, Bell Labs/Lucent Technologies
1997: Environmental Hero Award, Bell Labs/Lucent Technologies
1995: Engineering Excellence Award, AT&T, Bell Laboratories
1981: Textile Veterans Honor Award, MIT
1980: DuPont Fellowship, MIT
1977: Inducted, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society
Patents: 
Zimmerman, M. "Solid electrolyte for high energy battery," Patent pending.
Zimmerman, M. "Package for integrated circuit die", Chinese Patent ZL 2008 10188630.0.
Zimmerman, M. "Microcircuit package having ductile layer," U.S. Patent RE43,807E.
Zimmerman, M. "Plastic electronic component package," U.S. Patent 8,039,945.
Zimmerman, M. "Ultra high-temperature plastic package and method of manufacture," U.S. Patent 7,803,307.
Zimmerman, M. "Thermoplastic material," U.S. Patent 7,736,573.
Zimmerman, M. "Microcircuit with ductile layer," U.S. Patent 7,679,185.
Zimmerman, M. "Flange for integrated circuit die," U.S. Patent 7,053,299.
Zimmerman, M. "Package for integrated circuit die," U.S. Patent 6, 9867,367.
Zimmerman, M. "Dual network housing device," U.S. Patent, 6,510,226.
Zimmerman, M. "Patch antenna using non-conductive frame," U.S. Patent 6,421,011.
Zimmerman, M. "Mounting opto-electric modules on circuit boards," U.S. Patent, 6,361,330.
Zimmerman, M. "Method of molding a thermoplastic ring onto a lead frame," U.S. Patent 5,213,748.
Zimmerman, M. "Molded circuit package having a heat dissipating post," U.S. Patent 5,172,213.
Zimmerman, M. "Fabric forming process," U.S. Patent 4,425,691.

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