Warren P. Waters

American physicist and semiconductor pioneer

Warren Palmer Waters (8 September 1922 – 17 July 2000) was an American physicist, electrical engineer, and semiconductor pioneer. He filed several device and process patents in the field of solid state engineering and was the manager of the solid state research center for the Hughes Aircraft Company. Walter's innovative circuit designs led to the success of NASA's Surveyor program.

Waters was born in Sanger, California on 8 September 1922. He graduated with honors from Sanger High School, winning the Bausch+Lomb Honorary Science Award for chemistry. and a Bronze Star for his service. He received his master's degree from the University of Southern California in 1954 and completed coursework there for a Ph. D. in physics. and was involved in pioneering research on germanium and silicon bipolar transistors. He filed five patents during this period. In 1962, he joined Texas Instruments to manage its department for semiconductor research and advanced device development. In 1966, Waters returned to Hughes as the manager of its solid state research center in 1966, working on microwave devices and designing integrated circuits using gold and silicon Schottky diodes. His patent (with Belardi) is part of the Smithsonian Chip Collection. In his obituary, the Los Angeles Times reported that Waters' integrated circuit designs were used in NASA's Surveyor program, which landed some of the first unmanned spacecraft on the Moon. The Atomic Heritage Foundation credits him with developing the components used in the landing mechanisms; later Waters helped invent the silicon wafer used in the electronics for telecommunication satellites. In 1980, Waters joined Rockwell International to work on silicon wafer doping. In 1987, he worked for Western Digital on silicon disk purification and the development of early computer hard disk drives. in what the Covina Argus Citizen called "an impressive ceremony"; the wedding was reported in several local newspapers. He was the father of three children: Andrea Rosney, conductor Carolyn Waters Broe, and Lisa Waters. Waters died on 17 July 2000 and is buried at Pacific View Memorial Park in Corona del Mar, California.