Juergen H. Staudte – Industry Mourns Loss of Quartz Crystal Pioneer and Innovator 1937-1999 Cedar City, UT, July 1999 – The quartz crystal industry mourns the loss of Juergen H. Staudte, a true pioneer in the quartz crystal industry, who passed away on May 19, 1999 in New Mexico, after the twin engine plane he was piloting crashed. Staudte revolutionized the quartz crystal industry in the late 1960s when he combined the technologies of the quartz crystal and the semiconductor industries to fabricate quartz crystals by photolithographic batch processing. By inventing this process, Staudte changed the way crystals were built, allowing for production of low-cost, miniature tuning fork crystals. His advances laid the foundation for the quartz crystal watch business. Staudte was awarded 11 patents between 1971 and 1995 in the quartz-related field. He received the Cady Award in 1986 for his “pioneering contributions to the photolithographic processing of quartz devices, especially the development and commercialization of quartz tuning forks for time keeping”, from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and U.S. Army Electronics Research and Developments Command, and was elected “Piezo Device Man of the Year” in 1993 by the American Electronics Industries Association. “The quartz crystal industry – and science itself – has suffered a great loss in Mr. Staudte’s passing,” said E.L. Fox, President of Fox Electronics, one of America’s leading suppliers of frequency control products. “The processes he developed revolutionized and advanced the industry.“Juergen was a brilliant, forward-thinking, deeply respected scientist who transformed the quartz crystal industry,” commented George Maronich, President of Frequency Management, a manufacturer of crystals and oscillators. “He has been called ‘the Einstein of the crystal business’, a befitting title for someone so intelligent, driven, and hard working.” Staudte was born in Germany on December 9, 1937; and trained as a chemical engineer. He fled Eastern Europe just before the Wall was erected and moved to the United States in 1957, at which time he joined the U.S. Airforce. He earned his B.S. in Physics from Aurora University in Illinois and his Masters Degree in Physics from Michigan State University. Staudte began his career in quartz crystals at CTS Knights in Sandwich, Illinois while he was a senior at Aurora University. After graduating from Michigan State, Juergen worked at Autonetics, where he developed the process of photolithography for the production of quartz crystal wafers. In 1969, Juergen founded Statek Corporation, Orange, California, where he was President and Chairman of the Board until its sale in 1976. Statek developed and manufactured ultra miniature tuning fork crystals for the newly developing digital watch industry. Statek’s production techniques were the most advanced device design, processing and automation technologies in the crystal industry. In-house developments included material preparation, wafer fabrication, automatic assembly, testing, and new products. Juergen was named “Man of the Year” in 1979 by Elektronik Magazine in Germany. Staudte founded Staudte Engineering, Inc. in 1980 as a management and technology company, providing consultation to companies including Motorola, Seiko, and Bausch and Lomb, where he was also VP of Research and Development. In 1985, Staudte founded XECO, Inc., where he remained President and Owner. XECO is a quartz crystal industry support company, which builds turnkey facilities and equipment, and which has built facilities for Hughes Aircraft, General Electric and Sandia National Laboratories. From 1989 – 1993, Staudte was President and Founder of Avance Technology, Inc., which researched and developed novel products, including the sub miniature 50 – 500 MHz quartz crystals and clock oscillators. Since 1991, Staudte had been President and Owner of Hoffman Materials, which grows quartz and produces semi-finished quartz products. P.R. Hoffman is an industry leader in the manufacture of surface acoustic wave wafers, quartz mesa elements, and wafers for quartz photolithographic production. Staudte purchased the then defunct company in 1991, and turned it into a profitable company. Staudte owned and served as Chairman of the Board at Morion Corporation since 1994. Morion, located in St. Petersburg, Russia, is a leader in the Eastern Block in advanced precision quartz products. Staudte enjoyed flying, scuba diving, skydiving, and hiking. He is remembered as a personable, down-to-earth man who lived life to the fullest. He was a beloved leader, mentor, and friend. Staudte lived in Orange County, California from 1967 – 1989, at which time he moved to Cedar City, Utah. He is survived by his wife, Marci; their three children: Kendra, Kevin and Keith; his mother, Ella; and his sisters: Heidi Turner and Ute Norris. Donations may be made in Juergen Staudte’s name to the local Salvation Army nearest you.