Nick Ross, Ph.D. 1221 West Oak Street, Denton, Texas | 512-284-0200 | https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-ross-ph-d-89623566 | nickross008@yahoo.com

Summary

A Research Scientist with a proven track record of managing and leading advanced projects simultaneously and recently brought in an additional $166,000 funding to his project team.

Over 5 years of relevant experience in resolving challenging projects for 4 different industry collaborators (Intel, L3, Freescale, and Texas Instruments) by showing analytical experimental results on how to turn on and off their problem and then prototype on how to fix their issue.

Experience in project management and the ability to work in and manage a dynamic multi-disciplinary project team. Performing analysis to support reliability, maintainability, and technical support in efforts to improve performance in close collaboration with industry.

Work Experience

POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCHER | UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS | 05/2016-PRESENT

Texas Instruments: $166,000: Project Title: Al Pad Corrosion in Cu Wire Bonded Device

Managing project team and leading procedure developmental for adding, via aerosol spray and

spin coating, a corrosion inhibitor that can survive the thermal process of Texas Instruments’

packaging epoxy mold resin addition and Highly Accelerated Stress Test (HAST).

Currently working in close collaboration to adapt metrology on site at Texas Instruments.

PH.D. RESEARCHER | UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS | 01/2011-05/2016

Freescale: $80,000: Project Title: Al Pad Corrosion Study: SRC Task 2014-KJ-2535

o Brought an additional $166,000 in funding by making a connection at his award-winning

presentation at SRC Techon Symposium. https://www.src.org/calendar/e005106/

o Lead project team to investigate and accomplish the 3 main goals within a 9-month time

frame for a 1-year collaborative project with Freescale Semiconductor and Automotive.

o Developed an organic corrosion inhibitor method that increased lifetime survival of

Freescale devices by 200 times using GC-MS, electrochemistry, and SEM/EDX analysis.

L-3: $55,000: Project Title: A-Silicon Films for Night Vision: Army Grant (W911NF-10-1-0410)

o Solved a counter-balance issue between two precursor gasses in PECVD in L-3’s

amorphous silicon thin films for night vision infrared camera systems for the U.S. military.

Intel: $252,000: Project Title: Study on Wet Treatment on Porous Ultra Low-k Dielectrics:

o Optimized a previous metrology to increase sensitivity >100 times to achieve monolayer

sensitivity to identify Intel’s hydrophilic treatment between plasma etching and cleaning

treatment on the Low-k silicon thin films via Multiple Internal Reflective Infrared

Spectroscopy (MIR-IR) analysis.

Education

PH.D. ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY | 05/2016 | UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS | 3.76/4.0 BACHELORS CHEMISTRY | 12/2010 | UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS | 3.41/4.0

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Techniques, Software, Skills, & Instrumentation

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)(EDX)

Develop, optimize, and validate with GC-MS and microscopy to analyses contaminants found in air.

Served as safety role model by being safety officer of the lab for the past 6 months with 0 accidents

Main research to develop a new corrosion inhibitor patent

Ensure and maintain calibration and standardization of equipment, chemicals, gases, and supporting documentation

Design experiments, conduct maintenance, and Instrument Troubleshooting

Method development for qualitative and quantitative

Support and foster customer relationships

Strong computer skills, experienced with and fluent in Microsoft Office applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)

Can work independently and in a team environment

Maintained an Ultra-Pure Water (UPW) machine for 3 years.

Knowledgeable in HPLC, UV-Vis, AFM, and XPS

Maintainability, Safety, and Logistics.

Direct Current (DC) and Radio Frequency (RF) Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD)

Transmission Infrared Spectroscopy (TIR)

Atomic Absorption (AA) Spectroscopy

H2, O2, CO2, and air Plasma Etching

Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)

Analytical thinking and problem solving

Performs product and process characterization

Failure Analysis

Quality Control (QC) and Quality Analysis (QA)

Chemical Engineering and Process Development

Co-designed and independently constructed a CVD and vacuum system. Created and

maintained methods for PVD and CVD via quartz crystal microbalance.

Corrected PVD sputtering system cross contamination issue from the DC target to the RF target

by adjusting target holder, shutter location, and adding a manufactured metal piece.

Quantitatively determined the amount of Al and Cu corroding off Cu wire bonding sample into

acidic chloride solution over time via Atomic Absorption (AA) spectroscopy.

Proved hydrogen gas is a byproduct of Cu/Al bimetallic corrosion via gas chromatography mass

spectrometry (GC - MS), electrochemistry, SEM, and optical microscope experiments.

Appointed representative of the lab by Ph.D. adviser. Shown public speaker ability with

experience in giving presentations independently and as a team member to symposiums,

industry, and Universities.

Professional Organizations, Hobbies, and Awards

Best in Session Award at Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) Techcon

Alpha Chi Sigma (AXS) Professional Chemistry Organization - Treasurer 2015-2016

National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE)

Materials Research Society (MRS)

Denton Swing Dance Organization, Hiking, Experimental Cooking, and Meal Prepping