Design of Experiments and Failure Analysis

Design of Experiments/Statistical Analysis

Thin films are beautiful in their complexity, depending on countless factors including: substrate temperature, rate of deposition, chamber pressure, ion/plasma assistance, particle energy, and more. These factors in turn depend on settings in the coating machine. Making sense of the myriad machine inputs and thin film outputs (spectral measurements, reliability test results, etc.) can be confounding for even the most skilled scientists. I used Design of Experiment methodology, combined with a deep knowledge of thin film science, to help teams turn abstract vectors of numbers into actionable process changes. My skills include:

• Thoughtful and deliberate experimental design/DOE setup (inputs/outputs).

• Use of available statistical analysis software, from Excel to JMP, to organize data, fit relevant models, and test hypotheses/significance.

Failure Analysis

There is no shortage of ways to break a thin film coating or substrate. From stress failure to delamination to film voids, fixing issues requires a systematic approach. I am experienced in:

• FMEA techniques (identifying failure modes, RPN matrices, etc.).

• Fishbone diagrams and root cause analysis.