Aizhen Li, semiconductor material scientist, and Foreign Academician of U.S. National Academy of Sciences, was originally from Fujian Province. Graduated from the Department of Chemistry of Fudan University in 1958, she was assigned to Shanghai Institute of Metallurgy, CAS (renamed as Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, CAS in 2001). She successively held roles of Research Assistant, Research Assistant, Associate Researcher, and Researcher. She was approved by the Academic Degree Commission of the State Council as the Ph.D. Supervisor in 1989. She successively held roles of Director of the Semiconductor Materials Research Lab, Director of Information Functional Materials Research Lab, Vice Director of State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, and Director of the Academic Committee. From 1988 to 2000, she led the special subjects of electronic materials and photonic materials in the field of the 863 new materials. In 1980s and 1990s, she was Visiting Scholar and Professor of the US Carnegie Mellon University, and Visiting Professor of Paul-Drude Solid State Electronics Research Institute of International Max Planck Research School. She is member of International Advisory Committee of the International Conference on Molecular Beam Epitaxy from 1992 to 2012, member of the Procedure Committee in 2000, member of International Judge Committee of the Cho MBE Award from 2004 to 2008, member of Scientific Committee of the International Conference on Mid-IR Optoelectronic Materials and Devices from 2005 to 2010, and Chairman of the MIOMD Conference 2010, etc.

Researcher Li has studied semiconductor materials for over 50 years. She founded the Lab of Molecular Beam Epitaxy Semiconductor Microstructure Materials and Devices of Shanghai Institute of Metallurgy after returning China in 1982, and participated in founding the State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics of the CAS in 1993. From 1958 to 1980, she was engaged in study of the single-crystal, micron-scale group III-V heterostructure material science, engineering and application. Since 1980s, she has been studying the atomic layer molecular beam epitaxy growth and interface control, group Ⅲ-Ⅴ compound semiconductor quantum structure material, characteristic, and its application in high speed electronic devices and detectors. Since 1990s, she has been mainly engaged in the research of Mid-IR band intron and transition QCL, and interband transition multi-quantum-well laser materials and devices, and relevant physics research.

Researcher Li has published 235 papers and three treatises, and granted 17 national patents of invention. She has won five National Scientific and Technological Progress awards and National Invention Awards, and eight Natural Science Awards of province and ministry level, first and second prizes of Scientific and Technological Progress Awards of the CAS, as well as the Golden Bull Award of the Ministry of Science and Technology. She was honored the Woman Pacesetter of the Nation, Urban Female Contribution Model of the Nation, Shanghai Labor Model. She was honored “ Excellent Returned Overseas Chinese, Intellectual of Overseas Chinese and Their Relatives of the Nation”, “Advanced Individual of Returned Overseas Chinese and Their Relatives of the Nation”, etc. by State Council Overseas Chinese Office and the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. She was granted the honorable title of “Outstanding Contribution Teacher” by the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2008.

Researcher Li won the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) Engineering Science Award in 2004 and elected Foreign Academician of U.S. National Academy of Sciences in May 2007.