AMD Promotes Raj N. Master to Corporate Fellow

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the promotion of Raj N. Master to Corporate Fellow. In this role Master will focus on driving continued excellence in the performance and cost-effectiveness of AMD’s chip packaging technologies. Packaging is the final step in the semiconductor manufacturing process where a wafer is cut and packaged into an individual microprocessor. Master’s areas of expertise include C4 (controlled collapse chip connection), die packaging, assembly and thermal solutions within AMD’s expanding product portfolio.

Corporate Fellowship is the highest level of technical recognition at AMD, and is reserved for those who impact AMD’s business opportunities and technical breadth by providing a high degree of expertise, knowledge, creativity and tactical and strategic direction

“Raj Master is the kind of domain expert that makes AMD such a magnet for talent,” said Chuck Anderson, corporate vice president of manufacturing services at AMD. “Through Raj’s leadership and commitment we took the C4 process and implemented it with tremendous speed, accuracy and agility in our facilities in Europe and Asia to meet the growing needs of our business.”

Back-end manufacturing is the final stage of the microprocessor production process where chips are bumped, assembled, tested and packaged before being sent to customers. The C4 process is an important final step where the die is connected off a wafer to a package. Often referred to as “flip-chip” or “solder-bump,” C4 is a technology pioneered by IBM that provides a more reliable and efficient method of connecting a die to its packaging than older wire-bonding techniques. AMD first licensed the technology from IBM in 1996 for use with the AMD-K6™ processor. Raj was responsible for successfully transferring the technologies to AMD, qualifying the C4 process on a prototype assembly line in Sunnyvale, and then implementing volume C4 production in Penang, which has to date produced more then 200 million flip-chip assemblies.

In addition to his responsibilities in die packaging, Master led AMD’s organic packaging development and manufacturing initiatives as well as provides guidance to the company’s quality and reliability community. Master also focuses on AMD’s drive for environmentally responsible manufacturing with leadership roles on the company’s lead-free bumping and packaging initiatives.

“I am appreciative of the confidence AMD exhibited in me and in the strength of our global manufacturing team,” said Master. “That confidence has allowed us to meet or exceed all milestones in delivering the customer-centric products that we ship today. I am proud to be the part of a team that has a ‘can-do’ philosophy and is focused on the highest quality products to satisfy the needs of our customers. Through continued enhancements and innovation in this process we will drive increased speed, accuracy and agility in our ability to deliver new products to the marketplace in volume.

Master earned his bachelor’s degree from M.S. University, Baroda, India and a master’s degree in metallurgical engineering from the University of Missouri. He began his career with IBM in technology packaging, rising to Senior Technical Staff Member before joining AMD. Raj also has authored 81 publications and holds 37 U.S. patents, many of which are currently being used in AMD products.