With sadness, QuinStar announces the passing of noted cryogenic researcher William Tap Lum. He worked at the Radio Astronomy Laboratory at UC Berkeley. Tap teamed up with David Williams and Harold Weaver to found Berkshire Technologies, Inc. The company made cryogenically cooled low-noise amplifiers. His products supported the research of many physicists and radioastronomers for years before the recent development of MMIC-based Low Noise Amplifiers.
QuinStar acquired the company in 2004 to enter the cryogenic amplifier market and further support our scientific research customers. Tap also helped QuinStar commission its Thermal-Vac test chamber, now routinely used for testing space products
We have the utmost respect and admiration for our friend Tap and his significant contributions in cryogenic research to advance radioastronomy.