May 6, 2021 At GlobalFoundries, the title of Master Inventor is reserved for colleagues with at least 20 issued U.S. patents and who have a demonstrated track record of technical accomplishments and intellectual property (IP) asset creation. The program is a powerful platform for honoring prolific employees as well as motivating other employees who may have been thinking about submitting their inventions for patenting. Along with inspiring and mentoring their colleagues, Master Inventors serve as advisors and are a resource for GF’s technology leaders and legal team on a range of technical, strategic, and IP topics. We spoke with GF Master Inventor Shesh Mani Pandey, from our Malta team, to learn about the process of inventing and to get a closer look at the spirit of innovation at GF. Q: What is your role at GF? Shesh: I am currently a senior member of the technical staff with the Fab 8 device team in Malta, New York. I’ve been in the semiconductor industry for more than 25 years, in various management and technology development roles. I have experience working at all of GF’s fabs – in Singapore, Germany, and the U.S. – and moved to Fab 8 from Dresden in 2012. My technical expertise is in TCAD (technology computer-aided design) and device design for bulk CMOS, FinFET, FD-SOI, nanowires, and other platforms Can you tell us about your Master Inventor experience? I was named a Master Inventor in 2019. It was a dream come true, as this was on my mind for a long time. I saw the title “Master Inventor” in someone’s email signature many years ago, and never forgot it. When GF started its Master Inventor program in 2018, it clicked with me again. I started working hard to achieve this title and join GF’s elite group of inventors. What role does patents play in your career? How has patenting changed you? It helps in all personal, professional, and financial aspects. Personally, you get all the satisfaction that you are one of the few people in our company who has this title. It reflects your expertise in your day-to-day work, and your experience. Professionally, it may help you to grow in your career. Financially, GF has many incentives for inventors. How do you come up with ideas? I often get ideas for inventions from challenging issues that arise in the projects I am working on, and from other projects that interest me. I love to be close to issues. When there are problems, we think about possible solutions to address those problems, and that leads to possible inventions. Be close to problems, and challenge yourself to learn new things. What do you think are the critical components of being an inventor? For me, the first thing is passion. One has to be passionate about it. I feel that is true for everything. One has to be creative and think outside the box. Other than that, there should be a clear understanding of the subject and process. Working as a team helps significantly, as you may not be the expert of all the topics needed to solve a particular problem. Also, you need enough experience and time invested in your area of interest, in order to see the big picture. What advice would you give to new inventors? Your first idea is always the most difficult hurdle. GF has a well-established process to help you. Have an idea, but don’t know what to do next? Please contact any IP Legal team member, inventor, or Master Inventor and it will be smoothly executed. Be passionate, curious, creative and competitive!
