Robert Fontana

Fontana grew up in Champaign, Illinois. He received a Bachelor's, a Master's, and a Ph.D. degrees all from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Department of Electrical Engineering in 1969, 1971, and 1975, respectively. Fontana completed his Ph.D. on the optical and magnetic properties of thin films under the direction of Professor David J. Epstein.

Fontana joined Texas instruments in Dallas, Texas, in 1975 to work on magnetic bubble memory devices. He had been originally introduced to magnetic bubble memory in 1970 in an IEEE lecture by Andrew Eschenfelder{{Cite web|url=https://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/alphabetical-index/interviewees/30-interview-html-text/1551-eschenfelder-andrew|title=Eschenfelder, Andrew|first=Shaun R.|last=Illingworth|website=oralhistory.rutgers.edu}} of IBM. He was encouraged in this work by Dennis Bus{{Cite journal|title=In Memory of Dennis D. Buss [In Memoriam]|first=Jesus A.|last=del Alamo|date=May 17, 2019|journal=IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine|volume=11|issue=2|pages=139|doi=10.1109/MSSC.2019.2909223|s2cid=197435235 |doi-access=free}} who was also a visiting scientist at MIT and by Dean Toombs, the VP in charge of bubbles at TI{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/08/04/archives/ti-sets-bubble-memory-texas-instruments-set-to-sell-bubble-memories.html|title=T.I.Sets Bubble Memory|first=Peter J.|last=Schuyten|work=The New York Times |date=August 4, 1978|via=NYTimes.com}}

In 1981, Fontana joined the [https://research.ibm.com/labs/almaden/ IBM Almaden Research Center] in San Jose, California, to work on thin film magnetic recording heads. He made significant contributions in the development of processing of both inductive write heads and three generations of magnetoresistive read heads.{{Cite interview |last=Dieny |first=Bernard |subject-link=Bernard Dieny |interviewer=Chris Bajorek |title=Invention, Development and Commercialization of GMR Heads oral history panel |last2=Gurney |first2=Bruce |subject-link2=Bruce Gurney|last3=Pinarbasi |first3=Mustafa |last4=Speriosu |first4=Virgil |url=https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/2019/09/102781311-05-01-acc.pdf |publisher=Computer History Museum |date=May 30, 2019 |page=29}}{{Cite web|url=https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/2016/01/102737911-05-01-acc.pdf|title=Computer History Museum: Oral History of Frederick (Rick) H. Dill, Interviewed by: David Laws, Recorded: June 11, 2015}} These included Anisotropic Magnetoresistance (AMR) heads, Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR) heads. and Tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) heads.{{Cite journal |last1=Childress |first1=Jeffrey R. |last2=Fontana |first2=Robert E. |date=2005 |title=Magnetic recording read head sensor technology |url=https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/physique/articles/10.1016/j.crhy.2005.11.001/ |journal=Comptes Rendus. Physique |language=en |volume=6 |issue=9 |pages=997–1012 |doi=10.1016/j.crhy.2005.11.001 |bibcode=2005CRPhy...6..997C |issn=1878-1535}} Fontana's colleagues and collaborators included Ta Lin Hsu, Ching Tsang, Christopher Bajorek, [https://ethw.org/Heiner_Sussner Heiner Sussner], Prakash Kasiraj, Bob Scranton, [https://ethw.org/Frederick_H._Dill Rick Dill].

From 2003 to 2007, Fontana worked for Hitachi GST (a result of Hitachi's purchase of IBM's disk-drive division). His work at Hitachi GST at that time focussed on nano structure e-beam fabrication and on novel flux detecting sensors including all-metal CPP GMR sensors that scale well to very small device sizes.{{Cite journal|url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4407570|title=All-Metal Current-Perpendicular-to-Plane Giant Magnetoresistance Sensors for Narrow-Track Magnetic Recording|first1=J. R.|last1=Childress|first2=M. J.|last2=Carey|first3=S.|last3=Maat|first4=N.|last4=Smith|first5=R. E.|last5=Fontana|first6=D.|last6=Druist|first7=K.|last7=Carey|first8=J. A.|last8=Katine|first9=N.|last9=Robertson|first10=T. D.|last10=Boone|first11=M.|last11=Alex|first12=J.|last12=Moore|first13=C. H.|last13=Tsang|date=January 17, 2008|journal=IEEE Transactions on Magnetics|volume=44|issue=1|pages=90–94|via=IEEE Xplore|doi=10.1109/TMAG.2007.911019|bibcode=2008ITM....44...90C |s2cid=29454559 |url-access=subscription}}

In 2008, Fontana re-joined the IBM Almaden Research Center to work on heads for magnetic tape recording. In particular he contributed to the development and implementation of TMR read heads suitable for the harsh tape recording environment.{{Cite journal |last1=Fontana |first1=R. E. |last2=Biskeborn |first2=R. G. |last3=Lantz |first3=M. |last4=Decad |first4=G. M. |date=2019 |title=Tape in the cloud—Technology developments and roadmaps supporting 80 TB cartridge capacities |journal=AIP Advances |language=en |volume=9 |issue=12 |doi=10.1063/1.5130404 |bibcode=2019AIPA....9l5222F |issn=2158-3226|doi-access=free }} In addition, Fontana published several papers with S. Hetzler and G. Decad examining the global market and technology outlook for data storage technologies in general comparing solid-state, optical, hard disk drive, and tape.{{Cite journal |last1=Fontana |first1=R. E. |last2=Decad |first2=G. M. |last3=Hetzler |first3=S. R. |date=2015 |title=Volumetric density trends (TB/in.3) for storage components: TAPE, hard disk drives, NAND, and Blu-ray |url=https://pubs.aip.org/jap/article/117/17/17E301/391692/Volumetric-density-trends-TB-in-3-for-storage |journal=Journal of Applied Physics |language=en |volume=117 |issue=17 |doi=10.1063/1.4906208 |issn=0021-8979|url-access=subscription }}

During his career, Fontana played an important role in several technical societies including the National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council. In particular, he played an influential role with the [https://www.ieeemagnetics.org/ IEEE Magnetics Society] encouraged by Denis Mee, Mark Kryder, and Dave Thompson. Fontana served on the 'MagSoc' Administrative Committee and in various roles supporting IEEE conferences. For example, Fontana was Conference Chair for the joint MMM/Intermag conference in 2004.{{Cite journal|url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1325380|title=Chairman's Preface|first=R.E.|last=Fontana|date=July 17, 2004|journal=IEEE Transactions on Magnetics|volume=40|issue=4|pages=1991|via=IEEE Xplore|doi=10.1109/TMAG.2004.832661|bibcode=2004ITM....40.1991F |url-access=subscription}} In 2001 and 2002, he served as president of the IEEE Magnetics Society{{Cite web|url=https://ieeemagnetics.org/index.php_option=com_content&view=article&id=254&Itemid=173|title=IEEE Magnetics Society Presidents, 1965-2019}} and was formally recognized for his long-standing contributions to the Society in 2017.

Fontana was a Consulting Professor at Stanford University Materials Science and Engineering from 2006 to 2011{{Cite web|url=https://web.stanford.edu/dept/registrar/bulletin1112/5303.htm|title=Stanford Bulletin - Stanford University|first=Office of the Registrar-Stanford|last=University|website=web.stanford.edu}}

Fontana retired from IBM in July 2021. He lives in San Jose, California.{{cn|date=April 2022}}

Fontana has been recognized internationally and received multiple awards for his contributions to magnetic recording technology and his leadership in the engineering community:

• Fellow Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 1996{{Cite web|url=https://ieeemagnetics.org/ieee_static_content/Newsletters/Newsletter/July96/index.html|title=IEEE Magnetics Society Newsletter July 1996|website=ieeemagnetics.org}} "for development of novel processes for magnetic devices, most notably magneto-resistive thin film heads"
• IEEE Cledo Brunetti Award, 2000. This is a technical field award from IEEE for "outstanding contributions to nanotechnology and technologies for microsystem miniaturization".{{Cite web|url=https://www.ieee.org/content/dam/ieee-org/ieee/web/org/about/awards/recipients/brunetti-rl.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216193824/https://www.ieee.org/content/dam/ieee-org/ieee/web/org/about/awards/recipients/brunetti-rl.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 16, 2021|title=IEEE Cledo Brunetti Award recipients|website=Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) }}{{Cite journal|url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8736474|title=The IEEE Technical Field Awards [Awards]|date=August 17, 2000|journal=IEEE Spectrum|volume=37|issue=8|pages=58–70|via=IEEE Xplore|doi=10.1109/MSPEC.2000.8736474|url-access=subscription}} Fontana's citation reads: "for contributions to micro fabrication techniques for the manufacture of thin film and giant magnetoresistive heads used in hard disk drives"
• Member National Academy of Engineering 2002{{Cite web|url=https://nae.edu/30624/Dr-Robert-E-Fontana-Jr|title=Dr. Robert E. Fontana, Jr.|website=NAE Website}} "For contributions to microfabrication techniques for the manufacture of thin-film storage devices"
• IEEE Magnetics Society Distinguished Lecturer, 2005[https://ieeemagnetics.org/ieee_static_content/Newsletters/Newsletter/05october/Oct2005_Newsletter.pdf "Distinguished Lecturers For 2005", IEEE Magnetics Society Newsletter, Volume 44, No. 4, p. 9, October 2005] "Micro-Fabrication Techniques for Magnetic Information Storage Devices: From Bubbles to Thin-Film Recording Heads to Nanomagnetic Structures"
• IEEE Magnetics Society Achievement Award, 2005, the highest award offered by the Magnetics Society{{Cite web|url=https://ieeemagnetics.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=90:2005-achievement-award&catid=66&Itemid=97|title=2005 Achievement Award|website=ieeemagnetics.org}}[https://ieeemagnetics.org/ieee_static_content/Newsletters/Newsletter/05october/Oct2005_Newsletter.pdf "Magnetics Society Achievement Award: acceptance speech", IEEE Magnetics Society Newsletter, Volume 44, No. 4, p. 16, October 2005]
• IEEE Magnetics Society Distinguished Service Award, 2017{{Cite web|url=https://www.ieeemagnetics.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=256&Itemid=176|title=Previous recipients of the Distinguished Service Award|website=www.ieeemagnetics.org}} "for establishing the structure and enhancing the international impact of major technical conferences sponsored by the IEEE Magnetics Society"

Fontana is the author or coauthor of 141 US. patents{{Cite web|url=https://patents.justia.com/inventor/robert-e-fontana?|title=Robert E. Fontana Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications - Justia Patents Search|website=patents.justia.com}} as well as 61 publications in scientific and engineering journals.{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Robert-E-Fontana-2095404257|title=Researchgate: publications: Robert E. Fontana}} The majority of these are in the area of thin film processing applied to nanometer-scale magnetic transducers for magnetic data storage in hard disk drives and digital tape recorders. Several more recent publications address the status and outlook comparing solid-state, optical, HDD and tape storage technologies{{Cite web|url=https://storageconference.us/2018/Presentations/Fontana.pdf|title=R. Fontana, G. Decad, "R. Fontana, G. Decad, "A Ten Year (2008-2017) Storage Landscape: LTO Tape Media, HDD, NAND" MSST 2018, Santa Clara, May 14-16, 2018}}

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Category:1947 births

Category:People from Champaign, Illinois

Category:Living people

Category:American physicists

Category:21st-century American inventors

Category:American electrical engineers

Category:Fellows of the IEEE

Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering