Lewis Counts

Team captain and visionary best describe Lew Counts' role in revolutionizing mixed-signal design by introducing the complementary bipolar process, a practical, high-performance, high-speed process technology. The complementary bipolar process increases the bandwidth for higher data rates while lowering power consumption. Working with colleagues like Barrie Gilbert, Jody Lapham, and Paul Brokaw at Analog Devices, Counts challenged the concept that the linear IC production process was carved in stone tablets. He recognized the need to bring higher levels of complexity to chip design and accomplished it through techniques such as laser wafer trimming in order to create complex products that integrate multiple circuits. For 30 years, he's designed and managed development of analog-signal-processing circuits, including op amps and rms-to-dc converters. In fact, as a fellow and vice president of linear products at Analog Devices, Counts had a vital role in developing the first root-mean-square converters. He's considered one among the pioneers to design "complete performance" into single chips.