William Cain, Ph.D
Principal IP Technologist
Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
● Ph.D, Electrical and Computer Engineering
● MS, Electrical and Computer Engineering
● BS, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Bill has over 30 years of experience in materials science, electronics research, and system integration as a thought leader and innovator resulting in 21 patents and 16 technical publications (see sample innovation contributions below). Bill’s research spans from technology innovation at startup companies, research & vertical integration transformations at public companies, and chief technology leadership and development of core and non-core products and features targeting high growth markets at a fortune 100 multinational high tech company. He led corporate technology roadmap development for controller architectures and non-volatile memory designs, including NAND, MRAM, STT RAM devices, in solid state and hybrid storage devices. Bill engaged with supplier, contract manufacturing, and customer engineering teams globally (Asia, Europe and U.S.), as well as standard setting organizations, university research labs, and government research institutions in these regions, to review complex, advanced technology and product collaboration opportunities.
Bill works closely with patent attorneys to support global patent portfolio strategies and development; patent investigation, licensing and litigation matters; and M&A diligence, acquisition agreements, and post-acquisition technology integration.
Representative Systems, Electronics, and Patent Experience
Systems Integration and Electronics
- Embedded system designs with integrated controller electronics, memory devices, firmware functions. Solid State Drive and Hard Disk Drive design optimization and integration for enterprise servers, cloud data centers, and client desktop / mobile computing applications. Network Attached Storage (NAS), Secure Content Digital Video, Hybrid and Tiered Storage Systems.
- Integrated firmware design optimization based on application, performance level and reliability requirements including logical-to-physical address conversion, wear leveling, power management, caching algorithms, and SMART algorithms, and bad-block management.
- Solid state memory devices to support system demands for lower power, enhanced reliability, higher storage density, and faster computing. System-on-Chip controller architecture with microprocessor, read/write channel, encryption, and error checking and correction functions. Interface electronics (PATA, SATA, SCSI, PCIe, NVMe, USB) for communicating with host device.
- Non Volatile Memory (3D NAND, MRAM, RRAM) technology research and valuations for multiple joint venture and acquisition deal agreements.
- Integration of photonic devices (laser diodes, wave guides and photo detectors) into Energy Assisted Magnetic Recording head structures. Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication of sensors and actuators for storage systems.
- Pre-amplifier device design to process and enhance read and write signals between sensors and controller electronics. Power driver electronics and embedded servo systems to power and control electro-mechanical devices and storage systems.
- Thin film materials design and fabrication for magnetic sensor and storage devices. Wafer fabrication processes for magnetic field sensor and transducer structures, die test sites and air bearing surfaces. Chemical vapor depositions and physical vapor depositions for thin film material layers of the storage transducer structure. Optimization of tribological interface between air bearings and storage medium to ensure reliability & performance (electrical, mechanical, and chemical interface).
Patent Portfolio Development and Licensing
- Collaborated with chief intellectual property counsel to create IP protection steering committee, invention review boards, and patent filing metrics at Western Digital Corporation.
- Provided engineering support to identify technical similarities or differences between target products and patents of interest to support licensing investigations, potential patent assertions, and litigation defenses.
Bill has over 30 years of experience in materials science, electronics research, and system integration as a thought leader and innovator resulting in 21 patents and 16 technical publications (see sample innovation contributions below). Bill’s research spans from technology innovation at startup companies, research & vertical integration transformations at public companies, and chief technology leadership and development of core and non-core products and features targeting high growth markets at a fortune 100 multinational high tech company. He engaged with supplier, contract manufacturing, and customer engineering teams globally (Asia, Europe and U.S.), as well as standard setting organizations, university research labs, and government research institutions in these regions, to review complex, advanced technology and product collaboration opportunities.
Bill works closely with patent attorneys to support global patent portfolio strategies and development; patent investigation, licensing and litigation matters; and M&A diligence, acquisition agreements, and post-acquisition technology integration.
Representative Systems, Electronics, and Patent Experience
Systems Integration and Electronics
- Embedded system designs with integrated controller electronics, memory devices, firmware functions. Solid State Drive and Hard Disk Drive design optimization and integration for enterprise servers, cloud data centers, and client desktop / mobile computing applications. Network Attached Storage (NAS), Secure Content Digital Video, Hybrid and Tiered Storage Systems.
- Integrated firmware design optimization based on application, performance level and reliability requirements including logical-to-physical address conversion, wear leveling, power management, caching algorithms, and SMART algorithms, and bad-block management.
- Solid state memory devices to support system demands for lower power, enhanced reliability, higher storage density, and faster computing. System-on-Chip controller architecture with microprocessor, read/write channel, encryption, and error checking and correction functions. Interface electronics (PATA, SATA, SCSI, PCIe, NVMe, USB) for communicating with host device.
- Non Volatile Memory (3D NAND, MRAM, RRAM) technology research and valuations for multiple joint venture and acquisition deal agreements.
- Integration of photonic devices (laser diodes, wave guides and photo detectors) into Energy Assisted Magnetic Recording head structures. Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication of sensors and actuators for storage systems.
- Pre-amplifier device design to process and enhance read and write signals between sensors and controller electronics. Power driver electronics and embedded servo systems to power and control electro-mechanical devices and storage systems.
- Thin film materials design and fabrication for magnetic sensor and storage devices. Wafer fabrication processes for magnetic field sensor and transducer structures, die test sites and air bearing surfaces. Chemical vapor depositions and physical vapor depositions for thin film material layers of the storage transducer structure. Optimization of tribological interface between air bearings and storage medium to ensure reliability & performance (electrical, mechanical, and chemical interface).
Patent Portfolio Development and Licensing
- Collaborated with chief intellectual property counsel to create IP protection steering committee, invention review boards, and patent filing metrics at Western Digital Corporation.
- Provided engineering support to identify technical similarities or differences between target products and patents of interest to support licensing investigations, potential patent assertions, and litigation defenses.
U.S. Patent 8,639,872
Hybrid Drive with Write Cache Spanning
Nonvolatile Memory and Disk
U.S. Patent 6,008,969
Planar Recording Head Having Formed Yokes
Representative Patents and Technical Publications
Hybrid Drive Writing Copy of Data to Disk when Non- volatile Semiconductor Memory Nears End of Life
US Pat. No. 8,825,977
Hybrid Drive Comprising Write Cache Spanning Non- volatile Semiconductor Memory and Disk
US Pat. No. 8,639,872
Hybrid Drive Converting Non-Volatile Semiconductor Memory to Read Only Based on Life Remaining
US Pat. No. 9.146,875
CVD / PVD for Thin Film Layer Fabrication
US Pat. No. 6,008,969
Energy Assisted Magnetic Recording Device
Physics in Canada Journal / Vol 67, No. 1
Magnetic recording transducer fabrication with dry etching such as RIE or IBE processes
US Pat. 6,008,969
Materials Fabrication
- Thin film materials design and fabrication for magnetic sensor and storage devices
- Wafer fabrication processes for magnetic field sensor and transducer structures, die test sites and air bearing surfaces
- Chemical vapor depositions and physical vapor depositions for thin film material layers of the storage transducer structure
- Integration of photonic devices (laser diodes, wave guides and photo detectors) into Energy Assisted Magnetic Recording head structures
- Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication of sensors and actuators for storage systems
Electronic Devices
- Solid state memory devices to support system demands for lower power, enhanced reliability, higher storage density, and faster computing
- System-on-Chip controller architecture with microprocessor, read/write channel, encryption, and error checking and correction functions
- Pre-amplifier device design to process and enhance read and write signals between sensors and controller electronics
- Power driver electronics and embedded servo systems to power and control electro-mechanical devices and storage systems
- Interface electronics (PATA, SATA, SCSI, PCIe, NVMe, USB) for communicating with host device
- Non Volatile Memory (3D NAND, MRAM, RRAM) technology research and valuations for multiple joint venture and acquisition deal agreements
- Optimization of tribological interface between air bearings and storage medium to ensure reliability & performance (electrical, mechanical, chemical interface)
System Integration
- Embedded system designs with integrated controller electronics, memory devices, firmware functions
- Solid State Drive and Hard Disk Drive design optimization and integration for enterprise servers, cloud data centers, and client desktop / mobile computing applications
- Network Attached Storage (NAS), Secure Content Digital Video, Hybrid and Tiered Storage Systems
- Integrated firmware design optimization based on application, performance level and reliability requirements including logical-to- physical address conversion, wear leveling, power management, caching algorithms, and SMART algorithms, and bad-block management
