Ya-Chieh Lai Memorial Scholarship

The US $10,000 Ya-Chieh Lai Memorial Scholarship is awarded to an outstanding graduate student studying advanced lithography or a related field. The funding can be used to support tuition and fees, textbooks, supplies and equipment required for courses of instruction, and a computer or computer upgrade.

The scholarship is jointly funded by Cadence, the Cadence Giving Foundation, and SPIE.

The scholarship honors the memory of Ya-Chieh Lai, an SPIE Member, SPIE DTCO conference committee member, and Sr. Group Director at Cadence, where he made lasting contributions to Very Large-Scale Integration (VLSI) physical verification and DTCO-using pattern technology.

Read the press release to learn more.

All applicants must meet the following requirements in order for the application to be forwarded for consideration:

• Be a Student Member of SPIE 
• Be a graduate student studying in advanced lithography or a related field
• Include two (2) required recommendations. Family members, relatives, and students are not eligible to submit a recommendation. 
• Complete the recommendations using the online application system. Letters sent as email attachments will not be accepted.
• File your annual scholarship report with SPIE if you have received previous scholarship(s)
• Have not already received a terminal degree (MD, JD, PhD, etc.) 
• Submit a complete application

2027 applications open in September 2026.

The Ya-Chieh Lai Memorial Scholarship is one of several named SPIE scholarships that are funded by companies and individuals who partner with SPIE to serve its non-profit educational mission.