Manage technical issues with component suppliers to ensure delivery of compliant hardware for space environment while creating a positive supplier relationship. Components: relays, a hydrazine compatible rubber bladder, and hybrid microelectronics. Most significant processes developed with suppliers: CuSiltin and TiCuSil vacuum brazes and autoclave cure of hydrazine compatible rubber. Tasks performed include identifying and implementing cost avoidance opportunities, leading suppliers in failure analysis, implementing corrective actions, optimizing process flows, implementing process controls and process documentation, supplier process and product yield optimization, and verifying compliance to requirements. Applying lean manufacturing at one supplier alone to reduce failures and improve deliveries resulted in savings to my employer of $570,000 per order.

Responsible for transitioning proprietary thermoelectric and passive heat spreaders from R & D to production in a startup environment. Defined product specifications, defined engineering documentation requirements, designed components, ran design reviews, developed processes and process flows for prototype and sample fab, redesigned components for manufacturability, developed testing capability for engineering qualification, identified, qualified, and managed domestic and foreign vendors for outsourcing, set up, QA, and numerous other critical tasks.

Responsible for all aspects of manufacturing thick-film components and optical subassemblies for infrared absorption spectrometers used to measure exhaled carbon dioxide. In this capacity, I reduced manufacturing costs by over twenty percent by redesigning for manufacturability and I doubled production from 15,000 to 30,000 units per year while resolving various engineering, manufacturing, vender and personnel issues. One packaging redesign alone that I did reduced parts cost by $22 per unit and labor cost by $7 per unit by replacing a ceramic substrate with an organic board and a $20 flex circuit with a $1 ribbon. I transitioned this revision into production with no schedule, supplier or FDA compliance issues, saving over $870,000 per year.

I reported to program managers and interfaced with customers to define product specs, choose the optimal technology for product realization and then develop and implement a plan to deliver hardware. I managed numerous microelectronics packaging and process development efforts for space, surface, and sub-sea applications. Products for which I was responsible included digital, R.F., microwave and non-magnetic components, circuit boards and sub-assemblies. Packaging strategies used for these products included chip and wire, surface mount, thin and thick film technologies. Processes I implemented included low and high temperature solder operations, low temperature green tape ceramic substrate fabrication, epoxy operations, refiring to crack heal laser machined alumina, and numerous product specific assembly processes. I also designed assembly tooling for many of these processes using Autocad, and managed designers using Computer Vision and Mentor Graphics CAD packages.

I supervised mechanical and electrical designers on SciCards and AutotroIl CAD systems to design and document microelectronics components and systems for modular measurement while drilling tools. I also subcontracted fabrication of these parts and assemblies, identified and purchased components suitable for our environment, and interfaced with various assembly areas which fabricated hardware for qualification testing, and performed qualification testing in house. Design requirements, which I successfully met, included continuous operation at 200 degrees C and thousands of time dependent shocks at levels ranging from 300 G to 1000 G. Technologies utilized included multilayer polyimide P.C. boards, chip and wire and surface mount hybrids, and thin film, thick film and custom high temperature co-fired ceramics. Other components designed for the same environment included spring loaded contacts and flex circuit connectors.

PROCESS ENGINEER CVD- MOS MANUFACTURINGSet up, started up and sustained processes for the manufacture of NMOS semiconductor devices. During startup of a new front end, I handled equipment installation, facilities hookup, process qualification, and process documentation for silicon nitride and poly-silicon CVD, and wet processing. Once turned over to manufacturing, I monitored process performance, identified real or potential process problems and implemented necessary procedure, process or equipment modifications to reduce or eliminate product jeopardy. My processes included CVD of poly-silicon, silicon nitride, and silicon dioxide, wet cleanups, etches, aluminum sputtering and evaporation, and plasma enhanced nitride protective overcoat.PRODUCT ENGINEER - MAGNETIC BUBBLE MEMORY DEVICESResolved packaging issues in production, and developed and implemented engineering improvements for new designs. Developed or managed Permalloy vacuum anneal and silicon steel argon anneals. Identified and helped resolve on chip galvanic corrosion problems and implemented a new wire bonded chip on board package design.