Mr. Mel Burks
Founder / Senior Partner, Tech Quest Research, LLC
Member of the Technology Council
Council Member Biography
Mel Burks is with Tech Quest Research, LLC, a market research company providing consultation and in-depth analysis and reports. He is an acknowledged engineering professional within the semiconductor, test & measurement and PV sector. He held positions in semiconductor manufacturing and semi-equipment sector. Mel has over 30 years of direct involvement in various semiconductor technologies including lithography, ion-implantation, etching and metallization. His knowledge-base is on wafer fabrication processes and advanced semiconductor technology nodes (45nm, 32nm and 22nm). For photovolatics, he is knowledgeable on current polysilicon manufacturing techniques and reactors, “thin-film” solar-cell variants using amorphous silicon, microcrystalline, CdTe and CIGS. Mel held positions at ON Semiconductor, Western Digital, Texas Instruments and Candela Nova / Solar Engineering. He has also done contract work throughout the US, Canada, and Asia for such companies as TSMC, Hitachi, Hynix and Motorola. (This is me - Update Profile)
Employment History
- 2008 - Unspecified
- Founder / Senior Partner, Tech Quest Research, LLC
- 2008 - 2008
- Principal Engineer, ON SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
- 2003 - 2008
- Yield and Failure Analysis Engineering Manager, ON SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
- 1997 - 2003
- Thin Films Section Manager, AMI SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
- 1988 - 1997
- Principal Engineer, AMI Semiconductor, Inc.
- 1985 - 1988
- Co Founder, Candela Nova / Solar Engineering
- 1983 - 1987
- Applications Engineering Manager, ENTEGRIS, INC.
- 1976 - 1983
- Process Engineering Manager, Western Digital Corp
GLG NewsSM Analyses by Mel Burks
GLG News is now G+ Insights
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G+ is a community for professionals, academics and entrepreneurs to connect through online discussions and in-person meetings. You will continue to see G+ Insights (formerly GLG News) here as well as on the G+ website, where you can share and discuss the G+ Insights you read.
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A Contender for the Number-Two Spot in Wafer Foundry Services
June 2, 2009
Chartered Denies Bid From Abu Dhabi’s ATIC | www.semiconductor.net
In 2007, Chartered was ranked number four in revenue market share behind TSMC, UMC and SMIC. However, an acquisition of Chartered, combined with GlobalFoundries, could conceivably compete for the number two slot challenging UMC but likely not before 2011. An acquisition of Chartered Semiconductor folded into GlobalFoundries would not dislodge TSMC's position as number one foundry provider for fabless companies.
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Alternatives for Cost Reduction in Solar Cell Manufacturing – Nano Flakes
January 4, 2008
Nano Flakes May Revolutionize Solar Cells | www.sciencedaily.com
Development of silicon and III-V compound semiconductor nanostructures offers yet another path for low cost production and increased photovoltaic efficiencies. The real question is when how soon these advanced methods will become commercialized. The decisive factor for the success and production of solar modules is the manufacturing cost and how to drive cost lower while improving conversion efficiency.
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Lam Research Acquires New Opportunities with SEZ Acquisition
January 3, 2008
Lam Research rival may bid up price for SEZ Group | www.bizjournals.com
This acquisition is not Lam Research’s first step into wet processing but will be the most significant and application intensive. A very good match considering the industry is in the transitional phase for new materials and device structures at and below the 65nm node and requires an in-depth understanding of the special sensitivities to wet chemistry and etch interactions. As a major player in dielectric etch area, the SEZ acquisition complements the potential for a customer turnkey integrated process.
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Intel and STMicro’s JV Delay to Spansion’s Advantage?
December 28, 2007
Chip Makers Delay a Merger of Their Memory Divisions | www.nytimes.com
The sluggish memory market combined with the credit crunch changes the dynamic for bank funding of the Intel, STMicroelectronic and Francisco Partners joint venture agreement. This delay could impact select semiconductor capital equipment vendors. Competitor Spansion won’t likely benefit from a 3-month delay unless it extends past the second-half of 2008.
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Agilent and Multiprobe Provide Improved IC Test and Analysis Capability
December 26, 2007
Agilent and Multiprobe bring nanoprober to Asia | www.tmworld.com
Nanoscale probing directly at the transistor level for 65nm, 45nm and 32nm IC's has come of age. Agilent and MultiProbe's strategic partnership using Agilent's tester and MultiProbe's atomic force probe (AFP) system is posed to strengthen Agilent’s product offerings to include failure analysis probing. New challenges arise for device manufacturers when transitioning to a new technology node in the form of new materials and increased sensitivity during electrical characterization. This partnership provides the necessary tools and software to easily and rapidly debug the process. Initial sales slated for Asia and Japan could speed deployment of advanced memory types for the latest consumer products and solid-state drive (SSD) applications.
GLG Study Groups with Mel Burks(?)
| Study Group Name | No. Members |
|---|---|
| TMT Council Members in Member Programs | 18316 |
| Technology Council Members in Member Programs | 9587 |
| Semiconductor & Component Experts | 712 |
| Semiconductor Experts in GLG Member Programs (US) | 641 |
| Semiconductor Experts | 585 |
GLG Live Meetings with Mel Burks(?)
Mel Burks has not participated in any GLG Live Meetings.
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