Scott A. Nelson, PhD

Experience

• 

  3M (contract through Dacon Engineering)

  Jan 1996 - Jan 1998

  Research Scientist

  Developed processes to improve and produce II-VI blue-green laser diodes.• Performed growth, characterization, and wafer processing of MBE semiconductor structures for the development of II-VI blue-green lasers.• Reduced cost and down time by performing maintenance and repairs on multiple UHV systems and associated components.

• 

  ADC

  Jan 1998 - Jan 2003

  Directed a team of 15 members in 980nm laser diode manufacturing, including MBE growth, epi characterization, and laser diode processing. • Increased laser diode chip manufacturing yield by more than 70% through DOE, continuous improvement, and SPC strategies.• Consistently met production goals for the 980nm laser diode chip manufacturing group and maintained expenses under budget, including administering a capital budget of over $7M for procuring semiconductor and thin film growth, processing, and characterization equipment. Show less

  • Operations Manager

    Jan 2001 - Jan 2003

  • Senior Engineer

    Jan 2000 - Jan 2001

  • Growth and Characterization Engineer

    Jan 1998 - Jan 2000
• 

  The Bergquist Company

  Jan 2003 - Jan 2005

  Process Engineer

  Created production plans and processes for prototype runs of insulated metal substrate (IMS) circuit boards enabling unique features while maintaining on-time delivery and controlling costs.• Created a new product for LED applications by designing processes for laser ablation and cutting of dielectric material off IMS circuit boards.• Saved over $500K annually by directing a plant-wide cost reduction program.

• 

  Infineon Technologies

  Jan 2005 - Jan 2016

  Developed and transferred epitaxial growth processes for III-Nitride on silicon power and audio devices to manufacturing. Led epitaxial development for the MV GaN 2.0 project. Led the development of n-GaN and p-GaN materials. Oversaw radiation safety program as radiation safety officer.• Enriched design reliability by developing III-Nitride on silicon epitaxial processes and implementing SPC control and Cpk improvements, ensuring process transfer to manufacturing.• Enhanced Hall measurement reliability over 40% by discovering and eliminating surface state dependence and sample preparation differences. Show less Created III-Nitride on silicon epitaxial processes critical in bringing product to market. Collaborated to set up new semiconductor fab. Managed characterization area including capital equipment purchases, process development, personnel training, and ISO documentation. Facilitated a plant-wide safety program and created a radiation safety program.• Decreased MOCVD post maintenance recovery time 70% and improved both thickness and composition uniformity by creating modeling software used with growth-condition DOE.• Minimized time and expenses by developing and documenting characterization methods, enabling in-house analysis of epitaxial material by XRD, XRR, AFM, white light reflectivity, resistivity, PR, Hall, and CV.• Saved more than $840K by negotiating lower prices for capital equipment and MOCVD source materials and recertifying existing facilities and tools. Show less Developed III-Nitride epitaxial processes for growth on silicon carbide, sapphire, and silicon substrates for use in power and UV detector applications. Made MOCVD tool and process modifications to improve the quality of the epitaxy, increase substrate size, and reduce development time. Developed and implemented characterization process improvements.• Improved resistivity measurement repeatability over 87% by discovering and instituting process improvements.• Enabled epitaxial growth on larger substrates by developing tool and process improvements. Show less

  • Senior Staff Engineer

    Jan 2015 - Jan 2016

  • Senior Epi Development Engineer

    Jan 2011 - Jan 2015

  • Staff Epi Engineer

    Jan 2006 - Jan 2011

  • Staff Scientist

    Jan 2005 - Jan 2006
• 

  IQE

  Jan 2017 - now

  Supervising a team of engineers developing and manufacturing III-Arsenide and III-Antimonide epitaxial structures. Collaborated with a team of engineers and technicians to develop and manufacture III-Arsenide and III-Antimonide epitaxial structures.• Improved reproducibility of key parameters over 40% by creating and managing a project resulting in new process controls.

  • Engineering Supervisor

    Oct 2019 - now

  • Sr. Epi Process Engineer

    Jan 2017 - Oct 2019