The intellectual journey of Vivek De began in India, where he earned his Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras in 1985. Even among IIT’s elite, De distinguished himself through an early fascination with the physics of devices and the art of circuit design.
Driven by a desire to work at the frontier of technology, he moved to the United States, completing his Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering at Duke University in 1986. His academic path culminated with a PhD from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), where his research laid the groundwork for what would become a lifelong focus: energy-efficient, high-performance integrated circuits.
Vivek De: From Researcher to Industry Luminary
Before joining Intel, Vivek De built a strong research portfolio across academia and industry. He worked on semiconductor devices and circuits at RPI and Georgia Institute of Technology, served as a visiting researcher at Texas Instruments, and began his industrial journey as a Graduate Technical Intern at IBM’s T.J. Watson Research Center.
In 1996, De joined Intel’s Circuits Research Lab as a staff engineer. What followed was not just career progression, but transformation—both personal and technological. He rapidly emerged as a leader capable of translating deep theoretical insight into manufacturable, scalable solutions.
Revolutionizing Low-Power and High-Performance Circuits
At Intel, Vivek De led advanced research teams focused on one of the most critical challenges in computing: how to deliver ever-higher performance without unsustainable power consumption.
His innovations addressed this problem head-on. The circuit techniques developed under his leadership became foundational technologies, implemented across Intel’s processor families. One of his most celebrated achievements was leading the team that demonstrated the world’s first near-threshold voltage ultra-low-power Pentium processor, remarkably powered entirely by a solar cell. This breakthrough redefined what was possible in energy-constrained computing and influenced generations of low-power designs.
Equally transformative was his work on fully integrated voltage regulators, a technology that dramatically improved power delivery efficiency in modern processors. This achievement earned him the Intel Achievement Award, the company’s highest internal technical honor.
Vivek De: Strategic Leadership at Intel Labs
Today, Vivek De serves as the Director of Circuit Technology Research at Intel Labs, where his influence extends far beyond individual innovations. He provides strategic technical direction for long-term research in future circuit technologies and leads energy-efficiency research across Intel’s entire hardware stack.
In this role, De bridges the gap between fundamental research and product reality. He ensures that Intel’s circuit research not only anticipates technology scaling challenges but also actively shapes solutions years before they reach the market.
Since 2013, he has also served as Principal Investigator for a USD 13 million DARPA research program on Circuits for Resilient Systems (CREST), reinforcing his role as a trusted leader at the intersection of government, academia, and industry.
Intel Fellow: A Rare and Prestigious Honor
In 2006, Vivek De was appointed an Intel Fellow, the highest technical rank within the company and a distinction held by fewer than one percent of Intel employees. This honor recognizes sustained, company-wide impact and places De among a select group of technologists whose work has shaped Intel’s technological identity.
Notably, he is one of only four alumni from IIT Madras to achieve this extraordinary distinction—a point of pride for both the institution and its global alumni community.
Awards, Honors, and Global Recognition
The influence of Vivek De extends far beyond Intel, as reflected in his extensive list of international honors:
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2025 IEEE CEDA Outstanding Service Award for leadership at the Design Automation Conference
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2020 IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society Industry Impact Award for seminal contributions to integrated circuits
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2019 IEEE CASS Charles A. Desoer Technical Achievement Award for pioneering energy-efficient microprocessor designs
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Intel Achievement Award for integrated voltage regulator technology
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IEEE Fellow (2011) for contributions to low-power microprocessor design
Each award underscores a career defined by both technical excellence and service to the global engineering community.
Prolific Scholar and Innovator
Beyond industry leadership, Vivek De is a remarkably prolific researcher. Across various stages of his career, he has authored more than 250–350 technical papers, contributed to seven book chapters, and holds over 200 granted patents with dozens more pending. His work is widely cited and continues to influence both academic research and commercial innovation.
He has also served as Associate Editor and Guest Editor for leading IEEE journals, shaping the direction of future research by mentoring ideas as well as people.