Managed Varian’s Ion Implantation Solar Applications Lab with a staff of 3 scientists and 8 technicians to near flawlessly execute customer demos, support field applications and engineering development efforts. Prioritized and scheduled a very technically diverse mix of jobs to maximize lab throughput, reduce cycle time and meet business commitments. Implemented sustainable changes to reduce metallic contamination, improve incoming wafer quality and minimize bottleneck processes. Provided on-site customer support for process transfer of solar cell process BKM’s for Varian implant tools. Lead cross functional team to advance n-type solar cell metallization processes and develop BKM’s to achieve a 21% cell process.

Meticulously designed and executed DOE’s to optimize ion implant dose, thermal anneal & metallization processes to improve solar cell efficiency from 19.0 to 19.5%. Reduced thick film screen printed silver paste consumption to demonstrate lower cost/higher cell efficiency value of ion implanted solar cells.

Identified & selected high volume automation equipment for the dispensing, drying and curing of corrosive metallic inks on MEMS wafers to ramp up fuel cell process from lab scale to pilot production. Modeled capacity and specified equipment layout to optimize workflow.

Performed equipment startup & qualification of Varian’s solar cell metallization lab. Executed DOE’s to optimize metallization processes parameters, established BKM’s and SPC program to improve cell efficiency from 18.5 to 19.0% and consistently demonstrate value of ion implantation for p-type solar cells.

Served as a key member of the advanced manufacturing team which increased solar cell efficiency from 14.7% to 15.1% and revenue by $9.6M/year in 6 months by optimizing diffusion, screen printing and metallization processes.Led continuous process improvement teams to further increase cell efficiency by performing numerous DOE’s on metallization pastes, screen meshes, screen print parameters, front metal grid patterns and firing profiles. Qualified next generation materials and implemented process changes that increased cell efficiency by an additional 0.3% and reduced material costs by $2.8M/year.

Developed a 60 micron screen printing and metallization process to enable a patented interconnect wiring design. This front metal grid and wiring scheme boosted cell efficiency by 0.7% and had a potential revenue value of $16.8M/year. Completed technology transfer from R&D to manufacturing on schedule. Performed on-site technology transfer to Evergreen’s joint venture company in Wuhan, China. Co-authored and presented a paper titled “Efficiency improvements of String Ribbon silicon solar cells employing texturization, high sheet resistance emitter and Light-induced silver plating on screen-printed front grid” at the 22nd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference in Milan, Italy.Optimized a bench-scale “light induced silver plating” process to increase solar cell efficiency by 0.4%. Successfully demonstrated critical plating technology that enabled R&D to exceed vital business goals and justify the purchase of an automated high volume production plating line.

Six Sigma DMAIC Green Belt; 80 hours of Black Belt training.Achieved top ranking in an Industry Standard Statistical Capability Test for electroplated blind vias and conductor width & spacing.Implemented a Laser Direct Imaging process to improve outerlayer feature capability from 5 to 3 mil conductor and spacing. Employed statistical tools to reduce electrical shorts scrap rate by 50%.Developed and standardized production practices to deliver consistent, reliable and predictable periodic reverse pulse plating performance for high aspect ratio through vias (20:1) and blind vias (1.5:1).Partnered with Rohm & Haas to beta test their pulse plating chemistry, worked closely with them to characterize process performance and simplify process control. Optimized plating process and transferred to production. Conducted pilot testing to evaluate and select chemical & rectification equipment suppliers for pulse plating process.Entrusted with over $10M to manage several capital projects to introduce new technologies to capture new business opportunities, increase capacity of bottleneck processes to meet division revenue plans and improve process capability to reduce defects.Prepared technical specifications, selected chemical & equipment vendors, reviewed and scrutinized equipment designs and build schedules, performed factory acceptance tests, coordinated facilitization projects and equipment installations to minimize impact on production, debugged, characterized and qualified processes and then ramped up processes to full scale production.Identified root causes of major conveyor problems on a newly installed Develop-Etch-Strip line using Pareto analysis. Established team to redesign a major OEM design flaw that reduced the capacity of this bottleneck process by 80%. Launched short term containment measures to increase capacity to 50% of target and had long term corrective actions in place to restore process throughput to target within 8 weeks.

Coordinated and evaluated shipboard testing of nuclear reactor equipment for submarine refueling overhauls.Identified reactor plant status incompatibilities and resolved discrepancies expeditiously to maintain schedule.Prepared technical work documents and test procedures to assure personnel and reactor plant safety.