2025 CMC Conference

2025 Critical Materials Council (CMC) Conference
“Critical Materials Matter: Building Smart Semiconductor Supply Chains”
Keynote: Thomas Sonderman, CEO and Director at SkyWater Technology
Hilton Austin Airport Hotel in Austin, TX, USA
April 9-10, 2025
(with Welcome Reception the evening of April 8)
(The CMC Conference follows the Private CMC Meetings:
CMC Fabs-Only on Apr. 7-8, and CMC Joint Session (Fabs & Suppliers) on Apr. 8)
The Critical Materials Council (CMC) Conference brought to you by TECHCET is a 2-day event providing actionable information on materials and supply-chains for current and future semiconductor manufacturing. Unlike other conferences, the CMC Conference provides practical information addressing “How-to” not just “What.” Solutions to process challenges and materials-related issues are a key focus for the CMC conference presenters. Equally important focal points include business and supply-chain trends and materials needed for emerging technologies.
Featuring 5 Impactful Sessions:
1. Global Issues & Trends Impacting Materials
2. Immediate Issues of Manufacturing and Materials
3. Heterogenous Integration & Advanced Packaging Materials
4. Challenges of Equipment & Component Materials
5. Emerging Materials in R&D and Pilot Fabrication
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2025 CMC Conference Agenda
*updated weekly
Conference Chairs: Alan Balderson (Kanto) and Jeff Hemphill (Intel)
The 2025 CMC Conference will start at 8AM Austin time on April 9 & 10 at the Hilton Austin Airport Hotel. All sessions will take place in the Bergstrom Ballroom.
Welcome Reception will take place at 6PM on April 8 in the hotel Atrium.
Day 0 – April 8, 2025 | ||
Welcome Reception and Check-In Location: Hotel Atrium |
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Conference Day 1 – April 9, 2025 | ||
Breakfast Location: Hotel Atrium |
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KEYNOTE SPEECH: Thomas Sonderman, CEO and Director at SkyWater Technology “From Minerals to Microchips: How Critical Minerals Drive Semiconductor Innovation” |
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Session I: Global Issues & Trends Impacting Materials Session Chairs: Jeff Loewecke (Texas Instruments) and Lance Gilason (Samsung Austin) Location: Bergstrom Ballroom |
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Speaker | Topic | |
Tom Hackenberg, Principal Analyst – Memory and Computing Division at Yole Group | The Next Evolution of Heterogeneous Integration – Chiplet-based Manufacturing | |
Surya Kalidindi, Ph.D., Co-Founder at Multiscale Technologies and Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology | AI and Digital Twins for Semiconductor Materials and Manufacturing Innovation | |
Lita Shon-Roy, President and CEO at TECHCET | Materials Markets and the Intersection of AI | |
Coffee Break sponsored by Edwards | ||
Robert Goodin, Mineral Commodity Specialist at US Geological Survey | Upstream Mineral Markets and Trends | |
Shari Liss, VP Global Workforce Development & Initiatives at SEMI | A Look at Global Workforce Development Needs in the Semiconductor Industry | |
Lunch sponsored by Applied Materials Location: Atrium |
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Session II: Immediate Issues of Manufacturing and Materials Session Chairs: Rachel Ren (Edwards) and Elena Valdez (NXP) Location: Bergstrom Ballroom |
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Silke Sorger, Sr. VP Procurement at Infineon | Defending Local Supply Chains | |
Laurie Beu, Semiconductor PFAS Consortium Director | The Status of PFAS and Alternatives | |
Inbal Oferber, Solution Manager at IDE Water Technologies | Water Solutions for the Semiconductor Industry | |
Coffee Break sponsored by Linde | ||
Bastiaan Saris, Procurement Director at NXP | Supply Chain Dynamics | |
Jim Reed, VP Key Account Development at Okmetic | Advancing GaN Technology with Optimized Substrates: Addressing Challenges in Power and RF Applications | |
Jacob Wood, Engineer at Samsung Austin Semiconductor | Material Quality Readiness for Suppliers to the US from Asia | |
“Not-So-Usual” Roundtable Networking Event with Beer Tasting and Trivia! – Come meet Speakers and Discuss Hot Topics! Location: Bergstrom Ballroom |
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Conference Day 2 – April 10, 2025 | ||
Breakfast Location: Atrium |
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Session III: Heterogenous Integration & Advanced Packaging Materials Session Chairs: Jim Hannah (SEH) and Shaun Bowers (TECHCET) Location: Bergstrom Ballroom |
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Brett Walker, Ph.D., CEO at Electroninks Incorporated | 3D Printable Cu Ink for Replacement of Plated Copper in Advanced Packaging Applications | |
Amy Lujan, President at SavanSys | Breakdown of Material Cost Contributions in Advanced Packaging & Heterogenous Integration | |
Andrea Chacko, Ph.D., Director, Packaging Solutions R&D at Brewer Science | Temporary Materials for Chiplet Integration | |
Coffee Break | ||
Shaun Bowers, Sr. Analyst, Semiconductor Packaging & Materials, TECHCET | Packaging Materials Market Opportunities | |
Mayumi Sato, Resonac | Open Innovation Platform for Advanced Package | |
Session IV: Challenges of Equipment & Component Materials Session Chairs: David Lee (CoorsTek) and Dalia Vernikovsky (ASNA) Location: Bergstrom Ballroom |
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Mike Haverty, Director of Materials Design Group at Applied Materials | AI Materials Discovery | |
Suhas Ketkar, Ph.D., Marketing Leader at Elemental Scientific | Solutions for Liquid Chemical Metrology Challenges – Inline and Laboratory Instrumentation | |
Lunch Location: Atrium |
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Keith Melcher, Wafer Fab Procurement and Logistics Director at Texas Instruments | Managing Component Supply Chains Throughout Geopolitical Issues | |
Devon Dion, Director, RD&E at Entegris | Meeting Leading Edge Purity Requirements Through Contamination Control (for Precursors) | |
Robert Shick, Ph.D., Sr. Director, Chemistry and Cleaning at Pall Research and Development | Addressing Critical Liquid Filtration Challenges with Advanced Materials | |
Coffee Break | ||
Session V: Emerging Materials in R&D and Pilot Fabrication Session Chairs: Nicolas Blasco (Air Liquide) and Steve Consiglio (TEL) Location: Bergstrom Ballroom |
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David Thompson, Ph.D., VP, Process Engineering, Technology Research at Intel | PFAS Free Gas Processes Development | |
Nathaniel Cady, Ph.D., Professor at SUNY Albany | Memristors and Materials for AI Computing | |
Sandra Barithel, VP Sales & Marketing, Stable Isotopes at Orano | Building a Reliable Stable Isotopes Supply Chain for Quantum | |
Robin Athle, Ph.D., Principle Engineer at Alix Labs | Atomic Layer Etching Pitch Splitting (APS): a New Alternative to Multi Patterning | |
Karey Holland, Ph.D., Chief Technologist at TECHCET | Technology Roadmapping and Implications to Processes and Materials |
*Agenda is subject to change
2025 CMC Conference will be held at the Hilton Austin Airport Hotel
Address: 9515 Hotel Drive, Austin, Texas 78719 USA
Website: https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/ausahhf-hilton-austin-airport/
Early-Bird Registration Now Open!
*For member pricing and coupon codes, please email us
Early-Bird Registration w/ Advisory Alerts — $999
*Full Price: $1,299
- Admission to the 2025 CMC Conference on April 9-10 in Austin, TX
- Admission to Welcome Reception on April 8 with light hors d’oeuvres
- Continental breakfast, lunch, and coffee on both days
- Admission to Not-So-Usual Roundtable (NSURT) networking event with beer tasting
- Access to presentation slides after the Conference
- Access to Conference Whova app to view and connect with attendees, plan schedule, and more
- Access to 2 Advisory Alert Webinars hosted by TECHCET analysts and industry experts ($200 value)
- Advisory Alerts are 1-hour Webinar sessions with expert commentary on industry hot topics such as supply chain outlook, fab/material expansions, CHIPS Act updates, and more.
Register w/ Advisory Alerts Here
Early-Bird Registration (no Advisory Alerts) — $899
*Full Price: $1,099
- All Regular Registration features (see above) except NO access to 2 Advisory Alert Webinars
Register w/ no Advisory Alerts Here
KEYNOTE: Thomas Sonderman
Thomas Sonderman was appointed CEO and elected to the board of directors in 2017. Under his leadership, he has driven the company’s transformation from an IDM to a pure play foundry and led its successful IPO in 2021. He has diversified the customer base, improved operational efficiencies, and leveraged SkyWater as a U.S.-based semiconductor foundry to expand its government business and reinstate a strong commercial manufacturing presence in the U.S. He has built a world-class leadership team and workforce that is driving innovation and delivering excellence to SkyWater’s customers every day.
Prior to joining SkyWater, Mr. Sonderman’s extensive industry experience included all aspects of fab operations and delivering market leadership and increased shareholder value to high-technology industry leaders Rudolph Technologies (now ONTO Innovation), GLOBALFOUNDRIES and AMD. Notably, he played a critical role serving as part of an executive team at AMD that spun-off manufacturing operations to form GLOBALFOUNDRIES.
Mr. Sonderman holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from Missouri S&T and an M.S. in electrical engineering from National Technological University. He has 50 patents, is a renowned industry speaker and was inducted into the Academy of Chemical and Biochemical Engineers at Missouri S&T in 2024. Mr. Sonderman also received an honorary doctorate in engineering from Missouri S&T and serves as the Commissioner for Semiconductors and Microelectronics at Purdue University’s Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy.
Amy Lujan
Amy is President at SavanSys Solutions LLC, where she does cost modeling and analysis for companies in the electronics packaging and aerospace industries. In her time at SavanSys, she has established the company as the industry standard choice for cost modeling. She was the recipient of the Engineer of the Year 3D InCites award in 2019, received the IMAPS Leadership Award in 2021, and was selected as a Fellow of the Society by IMAPS in 2024.
Prior to joining SavanSys, Amy held positions in business development at TOK America and in engineering at Nokia Japan. Over the past two decades, she has published numerous technical papers, been an invited speaker at conferences and seminars, and contributed to many industry publications.
Andrea Chacko
Andrea Chacko earned a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She currently serves as Director of Packaging Solutions within Brewer Science’s Corporate R&D team. She leads several projects including the development of materials for wafer thinning and for other advanced semiconductor packaging applications. She began her career at Brewer Science in 2013 as an Industrial Postdoc and has also worked on high-temperature-stable carbon materials and underlayers for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography.
Brett Walker
Brett Walker, PhD is the Co-Founder and CEO of Eelctroninks and has extensive experience in advanced materials commercialization. Dr. Walker built Electroninks to over $1M in revenue after 1 year in business. Dr. Walker’s work in metal organic decomposition (MOD) metallization and commercialization has been recognized in Forbes and Scientific American.
Jim Reed
Jim Reed has over 30 years’ experience in the Semiconductor and the Silicon Industry. Currently, Mr. Reed is working in a new global role as Vice President of Okmetic Key Account Development in addition to his role as President of Okmetic Inc. since 2010. Prior his new role, he was the VP of Okmetic North America sales. Mr. Reed also holds extensive experience from several management positions at Texas Instruments and MEMC related to Quality Assurance, Product, Process and Equipment Engineering, Quality Assurance Management, Operations, and Sales and Marketing. Mr. Reed has a M.Sc. degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Penn State. He also holds a patent for a semiconductor barcode reader system.
Karey Holland
Dr. Karey Holland has specialized in advanced semiconductor transistor fabrication, including metrology, CMP, ALD & CVD, photolithography, and interconnect technologies for over 30 years. She was CTO of start-up NexPlanar, strategic marketing senior manager at FEI, on the Board of Directors at Nova Measuring Instruments, VP of technology at CMP pad supplier Thomas West, and CTO and VP of process technology at CMP OEM IPEC/SpeedFam-IPEC. Previously, she was manager of manufacturing planning for Motorola’s Microprocessor and Memory Technology Group. Her career began in process engineering at IBM where she managed DUV lithography technology development, and worked on interconnect integration for 4 and 16 Mb DRAMs, which were the first chips in the world to use tungsten plugs and CMP for all interconnect dielectrics. She holds a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Pennsylvania State University, a M.S. in analytical chemistry from Purdue University, and a B.A. in chemistry from Albion College.
Laurie Beu
Laurie Beu is a semiconductor industry consultant with more than 40 years of experience. She has led industry efforts to address process greenhouse gases and currently leads the Semiconductor Industry Association’s Semiconductor PFAS Consortium and Semiconductor Onium PAG Consortium.
Laurie began her professional career in environmental compliance and then managed efforts in Motorola’s R&D laboratory to proactively address environmental concerns during new process development.
Laurie is a Lead Author for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2019 Refinement of the Electronics chapter and the 2006 guideline, and
shares in the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
Laurie is a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas, a SESHA Fellow, and a recent recipient of SESHA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Lita Shon-Roy
Lita Shon-Roy – President/CEO and Founder of TECHCET—has worked throughout the semiconductor supply chain, leading strategy, business development, marketing and sales for chip designers, equipment OEMs, and material suppliers for over 30 years.
Her experience spans from process development of memory chips to business development of gases & precursors. She developed new business opportunities for companies such as RASIRC/Matheson Gases, Air Products & Chemicals, and IPEC/Speedfam, and managed marketing and sales in companies such as Air Products/Schumacher, Brooktree/Rockwell, and Hughes Aircraft.
Ms. Shon-Roy is considered one of the leading experts in electronic materials market analysis and business development. She has authored and co-authored 100’s of articles, reports and texts on semiconductor process materials markets, trends, and worldwide supply chain issues, and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal and featured on BBC News. She holds an M.B.A. from California State University, Dominguez Hills, a M.S.E.E. focused on Solid State Physics from the University of Southern California, and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from UC San Diego.
Nathaniel Cady
Dr. Nathaniel Cady earned his BA and Ph.D. from Cornell University and is currently an Empire Innovation Professor of Nanobioscience and Associate Dean for Research at the University at Albany. His research focuses on the intersection of nanotechnology and biology and includes the development of novel biosensor technologies, and bio-inspired nanoelectronic devices, including resistive memory devices (memristors). Dr. Cady’s research leverages the advanced nanofabrication facilities at the Albany NanoTech complex, and his research group has successfully transitioned multiple technologies from the laboratory to both 200mm and 300mm wafer scale fabrication and integration. Dr. Cady is one of the lead investigators and governance board members for the NORDTECH Department of Defense Microelectronics Commons Hub and works closely with industry partners on transitioning new technologies towards commercial applications.
Robin Athle
Dr. Robin Athle is currently a principal researcher at the Swedish startup Alixlabs, which develops tailored atomic layer etching processes for more sustainable semiconductor fabrication. He earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Lund University, Sweden, researching emerging memory technologies for accelerating artificial intelligence computation through dedicated hardware. His expertise lies within semiconductor devices, especially fabrication and structural and electrical characterization methods.
Sandra Barithel
Sandra joined the Stable Isotopes activity within Orano in 2022 as VP Sales & Marketing to bring her extensive experience to this new activity. She developed the commercial portfolio from scratch and holds the offer and contract
management.
Sandra has over 20 years of experience in business management in nuclear industry, with her former position being at Orano as VP for Contracts and Customers’ services in the nuclear spent fuel recycling Business Unit. Sandra got a broad experience in business management, from business development to contract management of long-term international and complex business involving export control and intergovernmental agreements, and in Sales & Operations Planning as well.
Sandra holds a MSc degree in Mechanical Engineering and Energetics from the National Institute for Applied Sciences (INSA) in Toulouse.
Shari Liss
Shari Liss, a seasoned professional with over 25 years in workforce development and tech education, is currently the driving force as the Vice President of Global WFD and Initiatives for SEMI. In this role, she focuses on leading impactful workforce development programs and fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives for the microelectronics industry that span over 3,200 global
companies.
Under Shari’s dynamic leadership, SEMI has successfully launched numerous national and global workforce development initiatives. With a profound commitment to shaping the future of tech education, Shari’s current role at SEMI exemplifies her dedication to addressing critical workforce needs and fostering cross-sector partnerships that bridge industry, academia, community-based organizations, and the workforce.
Shaun Bowers
Shaun covers semiconductor packaging, metal chemicals, and high power device technologies. Shaun has over 25 years in both materials and semiconductor manufacturing and test experience. Throughout his tenure in the semi industry, he has held leadership positions in the assembly and test field supporting the top 100 Semiconductor companies worldwide in sales, product management, development, and technical programs. Shaun formed and led an R&D team focused on Memory, MEMS, Analog, and Power packaging aimed at the Automotive Semiconductor market segment as VP of Package Development and Technology Integration at Amkor Technology, Inc., which led the transition from Si to SiC packaging. Shaun has deep knowledge on key market players and different sourcing strategies and business methods in place today and is considered an automotive semiconductor and electronics expert. He has a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Gonzaga University, and received honors CORe certification from Harvard Business School in 2022.
Suhas Ketkar
Suhas Ketkar is a Marketing Leader for the scoutCarbon & prepFAST Carbon products developed by Elemental Scientific. Prior to working at Elemental Scientific, he was the Director, Global Analytical Technology at Air Products/Versum Materials/EMD Electronics. He has a PhD from the University of Texas in Austin and has over 35 years’ experience developing analytical methodology to measure trace level contaminants in semiconductor gases and chemicals.
Surya Kalidindi
Surya Kalidindi is a Regents Professor and Rae S. and Frank H. Neely Chair Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering with joint appointments in the School of Computational Science and Engineering and the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia, USA. Surya’s research efforts have made seminal contributions to the fields of materials design, high-throughput mechanical characterization and materials informatics. Surya has been elected a Fellow of ASM International, TMS, and ASME. He has also been recognized with the Alexander von Humboldt Research Award, the Vannever Bush Faculty Fellow, and the Khan International Award. His research currently has a h-index of 95 (as per Google Scholar). Most recently, he has co-founded the new venture-funded start-up Multiscale Technologies, Inc., which offers a commercial SaaS platform for Al/ML driven accelerated innovation for advanced technologies.
More bios coming soon.
2025 CMC Conference Sponsorship Opportunities
Establish your presence within the semiconductor market by sponsoring the CMC Conference. Utilize sponsorship as a pathway to leading semiconductor fabricators, OEMs, and materials suppliers in the industry. Options include:
- Conference Welcome Reception
- WiFi
- Coffee Breaks
- Lunches / Breakfasts
- Exhibitor Tables
- And more!
*All sponsorship packages include free or discounted registration, company logo advertisement on our webpages, event app, and marketing emails, and in-person company display at the event.
If you are interested in sponsoring, please contact us here.
Things to Do in Austin
Zilker Park
Zilker Metropolitan Park is considered “Austin’s most-loved park.” This 351-acre metropolitan park is home to a variety of recreation opportunities, facilities and special events for individuals and families.
Reference: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/zilker-metropolitan-park
Mount Bonnell
For great views, head to Mount Bonnell at Covert Park, which provides sweeping vistas of the city, Lake Austin and the surrounding hills. The 5.1-acre linear park is home to a 781-foot outcrop, considered one of the highest spots in the area. Mount Bonnell is designated a Texas Historic Landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The point has proven to be an enduring tourist destination since the 1850s.
Reference: https://travel.usnews.com/Austin_TX/Things_To_Do/Mount_Bonnell_64482/
Try Texas Barbecue
When it comes to dining in Austin, you can’t leave town without trying some true Texas barbecue. Whether you like your ribs and brisket done old school-style or with a modern twist, you’re sure to find your new favorite among these sizzling barbecue hot spots. Check out this article for some recommendations: https://www.austintexas.org/austin-insider-blog/post/the-ultimate-guide-to-austin-barbecue/
Reference: https://www.austintexas.org/austin-insider-blog/post/the-ultimate-guide-to-austin-barbecue/
Downtown Austin
With its gleaming buildings and waterfront views, Austin has one of the most recognizable skylines in the entire state of Texas. However, there are just as many fun things to see on the ground! Shops and restaurants line the sidewalks. Malls, museums, art galleries and performance theaters offer a fun night on the town. A farmer’s market provides fresh produce and artisan crafts every week. There’s a boardwalk for sightseeing and a river for kayaking. Whether you’re looking to shop ’til you drop or stuff your belly until you explode, downtown Austin has it all.
Reference: https://www.busytourist.com/things-to-do-in-austin-texas/
Texas State Capitol
You can’t visit Austin without checking out the Texas State Capitol. Not only is it the most important seat of government in Texas, but at more than 300 feet tall, it’s even bigger than the famous capitol building of Washington D.C.! Tours are available if you’re interested in the grand architecture of the building or the politics within it. If not, you can check out the different photos, videos and exhibits that have been arranged for visitors. The highlight is a gigantic Lego model of the capitol that required more than 65,000 blocks to complete.
Reference: https://www.busytourist.com/things-to-do-in-austin-texas/