The Cupertino Courier

Education

Monta Vista senior wins second prestigious honor

By Crystal Lu

Alex Penn, a Monta Vista High School senior, has won his second national science award within the past few months.

Alex, 17, was a regional finalist in the Siemens Competition for Math, Science, and Technology last fall and a semifinalist in the Intel Science Talent Search 2008, announced Jan. 16.

The Siemens and Intel awards are both highly competitive for scientifically talented high school students nationwide. The Intel award is often called the Junior Nobel Prize.

Alex was among the 300 national semi-finalists, 10 of whom are from the Bay Area, awarded $1,000 scholarships by Intel.

Alex was recognized for his project: "Advancement of Printed Circuit Boards: Manipulating Metal Adhesion of Masked Polymer Thin Films Through Exposure to Supercritical Carbon Dioxide." His research looked at improving the adhesion of metals to thin films used in manufacturing computer chips, which, if perfected by the technology industry, could reduce costs and environmental impacts while continuing the miniaturization of chips.

"I was pleasantly surprised with the results," said Alex about his latest award. "I had very little time to complete the Intel application."