Robert M. Prohaska
923 Miller Drive
Davis, CA 95616-1911
(530) 753-2005
bob@www.zefox.net

Education: Bachelor of Arts, Physics, University of California, Irvine, 1982

Experience and primary responsibilities:

• Northern California Nanotechnology Center, University of California Davis. May 2005-present. Principal Development Engineer and member of laboratory staff. Responsible for facilities and equipment in a 10000 square foot Class 100 cleanroom. Support of transition to life-sciences micro/nano fabrication from traditional silicon fab. Establishment of accounting and equipment control mechanisms for automated control and billing.
• Microfabrication Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley. September 2004-April 2005. Senior Development engineer and member of laboratory staff. Supervision of characterization facilities including high-resolution SEM, optical profilometry, x-ray diffraction and related instrumentation. General support of microfabrication equipment including thin-film deposition equipment, electron-beam lithography and CVD furnaces in a cleanroom environment.

• Integrated Materials Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, July 1998 to September 2004. Senior Development Engineer and Laboratory Manager. Supervision of thin-film deposition and characterization laboratory supporting approximately 40 researchers. Supported processes include pulsed laser deposition, molecular beam epitaxy, electron-beam evaporation, RF magnetron sputtering, Auger electron spectroscopy and high-resolution x-ray diffractometry of materials for electro-optic, electronic and micro-electromechanical applications.

• California PATH, University of California, Berkeley, August 1995-June 1998. Associate Development Engineer. Support of hardware development for automatic vehicle controls for advanced highway system applications. Procurement, design and fabrication of components and systems for automatic vehicle control. Organization of infrastructure (shops, supplies and equipment) for performance of sponsored research. Development of simple, low cost brake and steering actuation systems switchable between manual and automatic operation.

• Physics Department, University of California, Irvine, 1986-August 1995. Associate Specialist. Development of high flux neutral particle beams. Development and diagnostics on high power x-band backward wave oscillator, high current diodes and gas puff valves Technical supervision and maintenance of the beam lab at UCI.

• Hughes Aircraft Company, Support Systems Group, Long Beach, CA,1984-1986. Member of Technical Staff (On leave from UCI). Investigation of free-electron light sources based on the Smith-Purcell effect. Development of non-contact automatic test equipment and one-shot microwave shutter. Applied infra-red thermography to automated solder joint inspection.

• Physics Department, University of California, Irvine, 1982-84, Assistant Specialist. Studied collective ion acceleration by high power electron beams, novel x-ray lithographic media and high current, compact, induction electron accelerator.

Professional affiliation: Member of the American Physical Society
Publications: 12 in refereed journals
Clearance: DIS Secret, 1985

Other skills: Computers and networks, including setup, maintenance and administration of six Internet-connected Unix systems.