On December 27, 2022, Chris Hornbuckle joined Linton Crystal Technologies as a process development engineer. As such, Hornbuckle will be instrumental in training and supporting customers to optimize their crystal growing process. He also will provide LCT employee training on crystal growing and processing machines and collaborate with engineers in product design and risk analysis activities. Located in Henrietta, New York, Linton is the world leader in the design, development and manufacture of Czochralski (CZ) silicon furnaces for production of monocrystalline silicon ingots for the semiconductor and solar industries.
“Chris has a more than 20-year record within the semiconductor industry during which he’s continually demonstrated the ability to innovate and improve processes,” says Todd Barnum, president and COO of Linton Crystal Technologies. “His experience and skills will serve LCT well as we look to advance the quality and efficiency of customers’ silicon crystal growth and production processes.”
Hornbuckle relocated to the Rochester region from Ohio, where he most recently served as the CZ supervisor for Silfex, the leading provider of precision silicon components used to make and operate semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Throughout his career, Hornbuckle has been responsible for improvements in equipment efficiency, process repeatability, and yield, and has achieved process breakthroughs. For example, he engineered the growth of the world’s largest commercially available CZ monocrystalline crystal with a diameter exceeding 560mm, innovated a process that reduced the time needed to eliminate crystal dislocations, and implemented protocols that reduced failure rates by 15 percent.
Linton specializes in silicon and produces equipment for materials such as germanium and gallium arsenide. They also provide technical support, process engineering support and replacement parts to help clients get businesses off the ground, improve productivity and continue to innovate. Linton has been the exclusive owner of Kayex technology since 2013.