Chipmaking expert Xu Zhenpeng leaves OpenAI-funded start-up for Shanghai role
The rising talent in micron-precision 3D printing revealed the move from California to an academic position in China on social media
Before his return to China, Xu led a team at the California-based manufacturing start-up Atomic Semi, developing 3D printing techniques aimed at making chip production faster and cheaper than conventional methods that used bulky, multimillion-dollar machines.
While pursuing his master’s degree in Florida in 2016, he co-founded a company that built and sold compact, high-resolution 3D printers using liquid plastic.
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Why are more Chinese scientists leaving the US to return to China?
At UCLA, Xu’s research included printing tiny robots that could respond to their surroundings without external controls, using metamaterials engineered to convert mechanical motion into electrical signals.