RÉSUMÉ · GENEVA, NY

Matthew Hartensveld, PhD

Semiconductor engineer working across device physics, fabrication, and characterization - with a focus on III-nitride micro-LEDs, transistors, and gate-all-around nanosheet HEMTs.

LAYER 01 · EPITAXY

Experience

2020 - PRESENT

Founder

NANOTECH STRATEGIES LLC · GENEVA, NY
  • Founded an independent semiconductor R&D company operating from a self-built ISO Class 100 cleanroom with a custom process line: DC magnetron sputtering, reactive-ion etching, sub-micron i-line lithography, spin coating, dicing, SEM, and probe-station test.
  • Developing III-nitride gate-all-around (GAA) nanosheet HEMT technology; authoring and prosecuting related U.S. patent applications.
  • Proposed GaN Schottky radiological detectors as a proof of concept for far-forward deployable semiconductor manufacturing under DoD SBIR, with prime-contractor support and engagement across DoD research laboratories.
  • Pursuing NSF SBIR funding toward commercialization of nanosheet HEMT technology.
2019 - PRESENT

CTO & Co-Founder

INNOVATION SEMICONDUCTOR
  • Lead all technical work from device-physics simulation and mask design through fabrication and test, in collaboration with a production foundry.
  • Pioneered monolithic GaN LED-FET technology and color-tunable InGaN LEDs compatible with existing semiconductor infrastructure.
  • Developed isolated-cathode micro-LED architectures enabling push-pull drive for displays and data-center optical interconnects.
  • Authored and prosecuted the company’s patent portfolio; delivered technical and business presentations securing stakeholder buy-in and partnerships.
  • Supervised external contract engineers through the full product development cycle.
2025 - PRESENT

Creator

DR.SEMICONDUCTOR · YOUTUBE
  • Built a 100K+ subscriber channel documenting real semiconductor fabrication at home, including the first DRAM fabricated outside an industrial or academic fab.
  • Work covered by Hackaday, Tom’s Hardware, PC Gamer, TechSpot, and Adafruit.
2018 - 2021

Research Assistant

ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
  • Invented vertical nanowire GaN transistors; developed GaN LEDs for AC operation and flexible AlGaN deep-UV nanowire emitters with inverse taper.
  • Advanced devices from simulation through fabrication to characterization, developing GaN processes unique to the lab.
2017

Engineering Intern

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
  • Optimized an RTP spike anneal step within a BiCMOS process and ran statistical analysis of sheet resistances.
2015 - 2016

Engineering Intern (two terms)

NORTHROP GRUMMAN ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY LAB
  • Implemented a new silicide process for SiC SITs and determined the metal work function through test and analysis.
  • Developed bi-layer resist lift-off (SiC) and metal lift-off (GaN) processes; ran a DOE to optimize a Bosch etch; modeled capacitor time-to-failure.
LAYER 02 · SUBSTRATE

Education

2018 - 2021

Ph.D., Microsystems Engineering

ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · GPA 3.94/4

Dissertation: Advanced Nanostructured III-Nitride LEDs for Display Applications

2016 - 2018

M.S., Materials Science & Engineering

ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · GPA 3.6/4

Thesis: Optimization of Dry and Wet GaN Etching to Form High Aspect Ratio Nanowires

2013 - 2018

B.S., Microelectronic Engineering

ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · GPA 3.6/4

Capstone: Design of a 30 nm gate length vertical GaN nanowire transistor

LAYER 03 · CHARACTERIZATION

Selected publications

Proposal and realization of V-groove color tunable μLEDs

OPTICS EXPRESS · 2022

Color-tunable micro-LEDs using V-grooves to alter indium content during growth, enabling emission from 425 to 640 nm. Semi-polar crystal planes and strain relaxation produce varying indium concentrations, demonstrated across μLEDs from 2 to 500 μm.

Monolithic integration of GaN nanowire LED with field-effect transistor

IEEE ELECTRON DEVICE LETTERS · 2019

Vertical integration of GaN LEDs with nanowire FETs on a common GaN template, enabling area savings, simpler fabrication, improved light modulation, and a significant Ion/Ioff enhancement over other integration schemes.

AlGaN nanowires with inverse taper for flexible DUV emitters

JOURNAL OF PHYSICS: PHOTONICS · 2021

Flexible deep-ultraviolet AlGaN LEDs created via wet etching of inverse-taper nanowires; embedding in polymer allows removal from the growth substrate, opening a path to high-efficiency flexible micro-LEDs.

18+ peer-reviewed publications in total — full list on Google Scholar →

LAYER 04 · MASK SET

Patents

12+ U.S. patents granted and pending across micro-LED, monolithic integration, and III-nitride transistor technology. Selected:

Full portfolio available on request.

LAYER 05 · QUAL

Awards