Bill Arnold

It is with great sadness that I report the death of my friend and colleague William (Bill) Arnold. He died this morning after a long battle with cancer.

I met Bill in 1986, when he was already an important figure in the field of lithography. At AMD he blended theoretical understanding of imaging with the practical know-how of getting things done in manufacturing. He went on to become Chief Scientist at ASML before retiring a couple of years ago. He was also President of SPIE in 2013, one of his many acts of giving back to the community that he loved.

But these and many other technical achievements, numerous and significant though they were, pale in comparison to the humanity and generosity that defined Bill’s personal impact throughout his career. He was wicked smart, clear and insightful, and always willing to discuss or explain a subtle point. He was honest and straightforward, someone you could trust to be forthright even when business was on the line or competitors were in the room. He cared deeply about his work, and the lithography community he spent so many years working within. He was greatly respected as a technologist, manager, colleague, and friend.

In short, he was the kind of person I admired and strived to be like. I will miss him.

Added note to my post: Here is the SPIE “In Memoriam” post for Bill.

https://spie.org/news/william-arnold_obit

4 thoughts on “Bill Arnold”

  1. Thank you for posting this, Chris; I had not otherwise heard.

    Bill was a great contributor to the industry, and a lovely human. He will definitely be missed.

    I’d love to hear if there will be a memorial for him.

  2. Thanks Chris, Bill’s gentle spirit, intelligence, and honesty made him a person of great integrity and a person who I reference and gauge my actions.

    The family is asking memorial donations be made to “Doctors Without Borders”.

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