Brad Ries Email & Phone Number

Milpitas, California, Us

Milpitas, California, Us

In 2015 I was promoted to build and lead a computer vision research team tasked with assessing feasibility of market requests, investigating business opportunities through application of AI, and defining new products by addressing gaps in the division’s portfolio. The division has revenues in excess of $150M / year. My role includes partnering with the executive team on strategy for R&D investment decisions to achieve business roadmap. During my time in this position, I built our AI capabilities through hiring and an engaged a consultancy, spearheaded adoption of advanced machine learning techniques for defect classification on KLA's computer vision microscopy products, and drove computational optimizations that enabled real time usage that led to 5X in sales over forecast in its first year. I've also solved unique customer requirements that necessitated custom computer vision work that has resulted in million-dollar sales. I presented at KLA’s 2019 annual software engineering conference in India for an audience of engineers and VPs on automating inspection setup from days to hours through human / AI interaction, which is now being integrated into multiple products. Our work has resulted in multiple patent applications.

Milpitas, California, Us

I was promoted to an Algorithm Technical Lead for VisEdge, CIRCL Edge and Backside modules, leading a small team of algorithm engineers from requirements gathering through to handing off finished product to service in coordination with systems, software and applications engineering. These products are semiconductor wafer inspection systems used to screen for defects on a fast moving noisy 3D surface using multiple high speed cameras, followed by subsequent review with high resolution microscope. They are accurate to 10 microns at data rates in excess of 10 MPPS and have been deployed in dozens of foundries worldwide.I held responsibility for technical leadership for algorithmic investigations, development, and customer escalations.

Milpitas, California, Us

In my first role with KLA I was responsible for rapid prototyping of image processing algorithms for evaluation in solving systems requirements in new products, specific customer needs, enhancement of existing product capabilities, and addition of new features. This included design of efficient algorithmic implementations balancing competing goals of highest throughput vs. maintainability and time to develop through minimizing overhead, operation count, and memory bandwidth. My other tasks included investigation of sources of distortion in imaging system, designing corresponding calibration algorithms to compensate, writing software requirements / design documents and test plans, scoping future embedded computer architectures, mentoring peers, and troubleshooting and debugging deployed software.

Chelmsford, Ma, Us

At Sky Computers I reported to the Director of High Performance Computing in a customer-facing individual contributor role responsible for supporting current and prospective customers implementing high performance applications on complex multi-processor systems. My work included design of novel mathematic and computer science techniques, research and recommendations for algorithmic approaches, development of highly optimized AltiVec assembly routines (achieving 20 – 30 X improvement over customer provided scalar code), and overall system troubleshooting. The applications were largely dominated by digital signal processing in the fields of semiconductor inspection, radar processing and signals intelligence. I also assisted on sales trips to provide tech briefings, and coordinated with sales and marketing on brochures and sales proposals.

I developed and maintained a launch vehicle simulator for testing Titan IV/Centaur/Atlas embedded flight software.

At Sagacitx I developed numerous highly interactive signal processing and 3D displays for a data visualization software product, which required the creation of efficient algorithms to render large datasets in a real time animated fashion. The application was written in Java to allow for platform independence.I also consulted with SKY Computers to develop real-time, embedded image processing algorithms for a semiconductor inspection customer, and contributed a unique approach that achieved an order of magnitude reduction in operation counts for a critical algorithm.

Falls Church, Virginia, Us

In this role I developed multiple statistical signal processing algorithms for radar detection and parameter extraction for use in a real-time wide-band ELINT system implemented on a several hundred processor PowerPC architecture. This included the development of integer FFTs optimized in AltiVec, and deriving the Cramer-Rao lower bounds to test the performance quality of the system.

Master Of Science - Ms, Physics

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Physics & Math

High School Diploma