Chao Zhao has been the Senior Vice President of Beijing Superstring Academy of Memory Technology (SAMT) since 2021 and a part-time professor of Beihang University since 2013. He had been a full professor of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and the director of the center of advanced IC process, Institute of Microelectronics of Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMECAS) from 2010 until 2021, and a senior scientist at IMEC from 2000 until 2010.

Professor Zhao was born on March 8, 1962 in Pizhou, China. He studied at Nanjing University and received the BS degree in Physics in 1982. From 1982 to 1985, and from 1988 to 1993, he worked as a teacher in Qilu University of Industry. He received the master degree from Harbin University of Industry in 1988, and a Ph. D degree from University of Leuven in 1999. From 2000 to 2010, he worked as a senior scientist in IMEC, Leuven, Belgium. In 2010, he started to be a full professor in University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), and later was nominated as the director of Center of Advanced IC Process, Institute of Microelectronics of Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMECAS). In 2021, he was appointed senior vice president of Beijing SAMT. In 2025, he became member of the European Academy of Sciences.

Professor Zhao's research concerns integrated circuit technology, mainly on materials, devices and processing of CMOS, DRAM and MRAM. He authored and co-authored 315 scientific publications and was member of several scientific committees.