2020-2021

3D NAND Flash Memory

• The SSD in your PC or Smartphone probably passed through one of these machines (left), the Applied Materials Sym 3 Etch Machine

• It uses plasma to etch patterns into silicon wafers, creating labryinths of nano-scale structures called 3D NAND Flash that can store thousands of movies on a chip the size of your thumbnail

• I was the customer-facing technical consultant for this machine 

• I worked with engineers in Santa Clara to develop new processes using Design of Experiments and data analytics to improve yield rate of the world's most advanced 7nm flash memory chips; decreased yield loss by >50%; savings estimated at >US$400k/month. 

• I led a 3-person team to successfully install and qualify US$20M worth of equipment as part of the high-volume ramp of the world’s most advanced flash memory chip.