Intellex Acquires Expert by Big Village

We're thrilled to announce that Intellex has acquired Expert by Big Village, effective March 22, 2024. This strategic move enhances our capabilities and strengthens our commitment to delivering exceptional solutions to our customers.

Stay tuned for more updates on how this acquisition will benefit our clients and experts.

For inquiries or more information, please contact us at info@intellex.com.

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Expert Details

Magnetron Cathode Design, Magnetic Field Modeling, PVD, Sputtering, Ion Beam Etch, Vacuum Technology

ID: 728316 California, USA

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Expert has developed and supported production thin film sputtering systems and processes since 1989. He has led the development and deployment of a production PVD cluster tool used by the IC, MEMS, and magnetic memory industries. He developed one of the first production low-temperature aluminum metallization processes in 1993, integrated with a novel titanium nitride (TiN) barrier deposition process that he also developed. He has written and developed software to predict system throughput, heating uniformity, and sputter deposition uniformity - all of which he has applied to developing successful sputter module designs. He is an expert user of magnetic field modeling (Magneto) and thermal modeling (Comsol) software packages, and has used them to optimize physical vapor deposition systems and processes. Expert has a strong background in deposition technology that has led him to work on issues in MOCVD, and HVPE. He is the primary or sole inventor for seven U.S. Patents on thin film system and process.

He wrote narrative sections and framework for a DOE grant proposal that resulted in a grant award for the client of $4 million.He developed concepts and compiled existing work into an "omnibus" provisional patent application for a complex capital equipment system under development by a client.He analyzed a reactive sputtering system and helped to pinpoint areas for potential improvement, resulting in solutions to client's customer issues.He analyzed and developed a set of designed experiments to optimize an ion beam process. He stabilized and brought fab maintenance issues under control by helping the maintenance people write standard work instructions.He refined and summarized the narrative for a trade secrets litigation, responses to interrogatories, developed deposition questions, and provided general assistance in the management of technical details.

Education

Year Degree Subject Institution
Year: 1989 Degree: Master of Science Subject: Physics Institution: Utah State University
Year: 1986 Degree: BS Subject: Physics Institution: University of California, Santa Barbara

Work History

Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2005 to Present Employer: Undisclosed Title: Managing Member Department:
Responsibilities:
He is primary consultant on all deposition, vacuum science, and material science issues.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2004 to 2005 Employer: Tegal Corporation Title: VP, General Manager Department: PVD Products Group
Responsibilities:
Overall responsibility for two sputtering system product lines.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1999 to 2004 Employer: First Derivative Systems, Inc. Title: President/CEO Department:
Responsibilities:
Founder and overall manager of a startup PVD company that built and demonstrated a 300-mm PVD system.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1989 to 1999 Employer: Sputtered Films, Inc. Title: VP, Engineering Department:
Responsibilities:
Overall development of sputtering processes and systems.

Government Experience

Years Agency Role Description
Years: 1987 to 1989 Agency: DOE - LANL Role: Lab/Grad Fellow Description: Research into binary and ternary alloy systems at the Center For material Science, under Ricardo Schwarz, at Los Alamos National Lab. Q clearance.

International Experience

Years Country / Region Summary
Years: 1994 to 2004 Country / Region: Europe Summary: Frequent travel in support of sales efforts, and to provide customers with technical assistance.
Years: 1997 to 2005 Country / Region: Asia Summary: Frequent travel in support of sales efforts, and to provide customers with technical assistance.

Additional Experience

Expert Witness Experience
He was expert agent in a trade secrets lawsuit that led to a settlement in favor of his client, the plaintiff. He reviewed technical files, developed questions to be used in deposition, attended depositions, advised on demands and responses for materials, etc. This assignment lasted 10 months, and ended on the evening of jury selection, when the defendant offered $19M to settle.
Marketing Experience
Expert is a veteran of the semiconductor capital equipment industry, knows many of the key suppliers, customers, and competitors.
Other Relevant Experience
Expert has done patent research and written patent specifications and grant proposals for his clients.

Fields of Expertise

DC sputtering, deposition technology, ion sputtering, magnetron, magnetron sputtering, physical vapor deposition, radio-frequency sputtering, sputter deposition, thin-film deposition, argon sputtering, aluminum sputtering, cathode, deposition, reactive sputtering, copper sputtering, diode sputtering, magnetron theory, gold sputtering, ion-beam etching, ion etching, planarization, sputtering target, semiconductor metallizing, planar magnetron, thin-film process development, titanium nitride, tungsten sputtering, titanium sputtering, vacuum deposition, coating, compound semiconductor material, film, metal film, semiconductor wafer processing, silicon nitride, thin film, thin-film coating process, thin-film conductor, titanium nitride film, titanium nitride physical vapor deposition, titanium nitride thin film, vacuum system design, vacuum leak testing, vacuum leak detection, high-vacuum technology, high vacuum, hydride vapor phase epitaxy, multi-level metal interconnect, vacuum environment, deposition analysis, thin-film electromigration, chemical vapor deposition reactor, vacuum outgassing, plasma deposition system, silver sputtering, zirconium sputtering, chromium sputtering, molybdenum sputtering, indium tin oxide sputtering, iridium sputtering, advanced material technology, titanium getter, vacuum baking, synthetic crystal, semiconductor wafer epitaxial deposition, vacuum gage, direct current, plasma etching technology, semiconductor technology, zirconium nitride physical vapor deposition, zirconium nitride, low-energy ion beam thin-film deposition, safe semiconductor material manufacturing, deposited material, getter material, semiconductor material processing, vacuum measurement, wear-resistant coating material, ionization, thin-film analysis, thin-film circuit element, technology, vapor-phase epitaxy, vapor deposition, vacuum technology, vacuum pump, vacuum-compatible material, ultra-high vacuum, semiconductor material property, refractory, physics, metal organic chemical vapor deposition, interconnection technology, epitaxy, crystal growth, chromium, argon, aluminum

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