Quote

“The driving force has been the consumer electronics market. There has been a relentless drive for higher speed, smaller size and lower costs. And that has put the squeeze on all components, including ceramic ones.”

RELVA BUCHANAN – Professor of Ceramics and Materials Science, University of Cincinnati (as quoted in a 1984 NYT article)

Bio

Relva Buchanan is a Professor of Ceramics and Materials Science in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Cincinnati. Research interests: the development of ceramic-based sensor materials to serve a variety of microelectronic sensing applications (ceramic engineering, ceramic-polymer composites, dielectrics, piezoelectrics, thick films and sensors, energy storage, supercapacitors). 

Dr. Buchanan holds a BS in Glass Technology (1960) from Alfred University and a Ph.D. in Ceramic Science (1965) from MIT. He first worked as a senior research engineer in microelectonics components and packaging with IBM Corporation. His teaching career began as a professor of ceramic science and engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana, where he was to remain for 18 years (1974-1992) and to serve as Chair of the Ceramics Division (1988-1992). In 1992, Dr. Buchanan went to the University of Cincinnati as head of the then Materials Science and Engineering Department, and served in that capacity for six years.

Service to the profession includes: Trustee of the American Ceramic Society; a Fellow of both the American Ceramic Society and the American Society of Metals; serves on an International Materials Review Panel for the Ministry and Foundation for Science and Technology in Lisbon, Portugal. He has authored six books and more than 120 technical articles.

Dr. Buchanan has held visiting professorships at Purdue University and at the University of Aveiro in Portugal. As an MIT MLK Visiting Professor, Dr. Buchanan was hosted by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

Publications

"Ceramic Materials for Electronics",  
3rd edition,  
R. C. Buchanan, Editor, Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York (2004).

"Ceramics as Electrical Materials",  
Kirk- Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, (Ch. 19, Electrical Properties),  
R. C. Buchanan and R. D. Roseman, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York (2002)

"Materials Crystal Chemistry",  
R. C. Buchanan and T. Park. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, May (1997)

"Ceramic Materials for Electronics",  
2nd Edition 1991,  
R. C. Buchanan, Editor, Authored Chapter 1 - Ceramic Insulators:Chapter 4 (Co-authored) Ferrites; Chapter 2 and 5 (Revised) Ferroelectrics. Sensors. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York (1991)

"Ceramics as Electrical Materials",  
R. C. Buchanan and R. D. Roseman, Kirk-Othmer Ency. of Chem. Tech., Vol. 5, 4/e,Series, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 698-728 (1993)

"Electrical/Electronic Applications for Advanced Ceramics: Introduction",  
R. C. Buchanan, Engineered Materials Handbook,Vol. 4, Ceramics and Glasses, 1105-06 (1991)

Ceramic Transactions 15, "Materials and Processes for Microelectronic Systems",  
K. M. Nair, R. Pohanka, and R. C. Buchanan, Eds., Amer. Ceramic Soc., Westerville, OH (1990)