University of Wisconsin material-science professor John Perepezko said he and Chancellor John Wiley developed the concept for a microchip later installed in Playstation 2 over idle chitchat and a cup of coffee.

“One of [the] things when we’re just sitting together having coffee is talking about ideas,” Perepezko said.

Perepzko met Wiley, then an electrical-engineering professor, more than a decade ago. The two have seen their names in the media recently for a patent they made together that was allegedly used without permission by Sony in the Playstation 2 and in some Toshiba products distributed in America.

“[Wiley and I] got together for coffee,” he said. “[Wiley] brought up issues that he thought would be roadblocks to progress.”

One of these roadblocks Wiley mentioned was a diffusion barrier not yet invented that could resist wear and tear during harsh conditions. With components that used a better diffusion barrier, chips could successfully separate copper from silicon. The importance of such a development is twofold, Perepezko said. He said copper is a better conductor than other metals, although other metals were being used to prevent copper from touching and wrecking the silicon part of a microchip.

“Copper is a poison to silicon,” Perepzko said.

The discovery the two made cuts down the seeping of copper into the silicon chip so there is no damage to the piece. The technologies from these chips were developed with drilling in oil wells and high-temperature motors in mind. Computerized sensors with this technology have since been used in General Motors trucks.

This development has allowed the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, a private, nonprofit organization that manages intellectual property of UW faculty, to pursue possible impediments to the patent of this discovery. UW spokesman Terry Devitt said WARF works to protect UW patents.

“The university feels the intellectual property of its faculty and staff should be respected,” Devitt said, adding that any patents produced by UW faculty should also be respected.

WARF is currently seeking a licensing agreement between the two Japanese technology companies.

“That’s the preferred route,” Perepezko said, adding that a lawsuit is a long, costly process that leaves everyone involved with negative feelings about the matter.

Perepezko said he wants to see the university get some money out of the ordeal.

“I’d like to see the university benefit from this,” Perepezko said, even though he himself would not see any additional money as a result of the lawsuit.

“It’s none of my business (to investigate patent violations) … our function is to do good science and good research.”

Though Perepezko teaches and researches by trade, he has appreciated the extra attention.

“It really is neat,” he said, adding it’s “kinda cool” to see his work go to modern-day products.

Another value Perepezko emphasized was cooperation within different departments, where face-to-face interaction is integral and ideas can develop. He said face-to-face interaction is currently lacking from what it once was, due to the advent of e-mail, which makes dialogue nearly absent.

“Something will pop out of thin air … and then someone asks you how you had this idea 15 years ago,” Perepzko said.

Perepezko still meets Wiley for lunch or coffee occasionally, but he said they both have become busy men.