John Joyce

Address:
available on request

Employment

January 2003 to present. Cambridge Semiconductor, a spinoff company from Cambridge University Engineering Department.

2006 to present: Senior Test Engineer. Responsible for systematic test and characterisation of mixed-signal CMOS integrated circuits at wafer and package level.

• Creation of test specifications for both internal and test development house use, in liaison with IC design and system design teams
• Detailed understanding of IC implementations, and the system within which they function, to enable test specifications to be produced and implemented
• Design, production and commissioning of 'rack and stack' style automated test equipment (ATE) for implementation of test specifications in-house
• Management of software and hardware development by external contractors for in-house ATE
• Design, production, commissioning and use of automated equipment for long-term power device reliability investigation

2003 to 2005: Advanced Device Engineer and then Senior Power Device Engineer. As a member of the Device & Technology team, responsibility primarily focussed on practical tasks, including:

• Responsible for wafer level testing of power devices, including specification, purchase and commissioning of Signatone automated test equipment, and subsequent custom software design and implementation
• Processing and analysis of data from test equipment to provide the team with device performance information for future designs
• Detailed device performance assessment and comparison with competitors' devices
• Packaging and testing of engineering sample parts including circuit functionality
• Liaison with circuit and applications engineers
• Supervision of vacation students

September to November 2002. Short term contract Research Associate in Cambridge University Engineering Department:

• Investigation of oscillations within IGBT modules using Silvaco mixed-mode (semiconductor device and circuit) simulation tools
• Undergraduate tuition and laboratory demonstrations.

September 2001 to August 2002. Research Technologist at Alstom Research & Technology Centre, Stafford (now Areva T&D Technology Centre).

• Design and construction of test rig for characterisation of high-power IGBTs
• Feasibility study of prototyping utility-scale energy storage systems using ultracapacitors
• Characterisation of silicon carbide semiconductor devices
• IGBT modelling using SABER simulation package

April to November 2000 and April to August 2001. Research Assistant in Cambridge University Engineering Department. Research on:

• IGBT modelling
• Current measurement techniques
• IGBT operation under short circuit conditions

Education

Read Natural Sciences (physics) for two years followed by Electrical and Information Sciences for two years at Clare College, Cambridge, leading to degrees of B.A. (Hons) (1st) and M.Eng., awarded in 1996.
Award: The Pressed Steel Prize for Engineering from Clare College (1996)

The King's School, Chester, 1981 to 1991.
A Levels: SMP Maths, SMP Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry, General Studies (grade A), STEP (Cambridge supplementary exam) Maths and Chemistry (grade 1)
Award: The Westminster Gold Medal for best A-level results.

Publications

• F. Udrea, T. Trajkovic, C. Lee, D. Garner, X. Yuan, J. Joyce, N. Udugampola, G. Bonnet, D. Coulson, R. Jacques, M. Izmajlowicz, N. van der Duijn Schouten, Z. Ansari, P. Moyse and G. A. J. Amaratunga: Ultra-fast LIGBTs and Superjunction Devices in Membrane Technology. 7th International Symposium On Power Semiconductor Devices and ICs (ISPSD), Santa Barbara, 2005
• Palmer P.R., Santi E., Hudgins J., Kang X., Joyce J.C., Eng P.Y.: Circuit Simulator Models for the Diode and IGBT With Full Temperature Dependent Features. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, September 2003
• Palmer P.R., Joyce J.C.: Circuit analysis of active mode parasitic oscillations in IGBT modules. IEE Proceedings on Circuits, Devices and Systems April 2003
• Joyce J.C.: Current Sharing and Redistribution in High Power IGBT Modules, Ph.D. thesis, Cambridge University Engineering Department, 2001
• Palmer P.R., Joyce J.C., Eng P.Y., Hudgins J., Santi E., Dougal R.: Circuit Simulator Models for the Diode and IGBT with full Temperature-Dependent Features. 32nd Power Electronics Specialists' Conference, Vancouver, 2001
• Palmer P.R., Rajamani H.S., Joyce J.C.: Behaviour of IGBT modules under short circuit conditions. IEEE Industrial Applications Society Annual Meeting, Rome, 2000.
• Palmer P.R., Joyce J.C.: Causes of parasitic current oscillations in IGBT modules at turn-off. 8th European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications, Lausanne, 1999.
• Joyce J.C., Palmer P.R.: Some causes of current redistribution in IGBT modules. 11th International Symposium on Power Semiconductor Devices, Toronto 1999.
• Palmer P.R., Joyce J.C.: Current redistribution in multi-chip IGBT modules under various gate drive conditions. Seventh International Conference on Power Electronics and Variable Speed Drives, London, 1998.
• Palmer P.R., Joyce J.C., Stark B.H.: Measurement of Chip Currents in IGBT Modules. 7th European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications, Trondheim, 1997.
• Palmer P.R., Stark B.H., Joyce J.C.: Non-Invasive Measurement of Chip Currents in IGBT Modules. 28th Power Electronics Specialists' Conference, St Louis, 1997.

Voluntary work on the Llangollen Railway in North Wales since 1987. Started with repairing and maintaining carriages and wagons, and moved on after 6 years to the railcar group, restoring, maintaining and driving diesel railcars. Edited, typeset and published 23 quarterly issues of the in-house magazine Steam at Llangollen, a magazine typically comprising 48 to 64 pages and 25,000 to 35,000 words, distributed to approximately 1,200 members quarterly. Creator of the Railway's website, and maintainter from 1995 to 2006.

Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

Competitions Secretary of Cambridge University Automobile Club for two years and vice-president for one year. Organised several club events including two 'Varsity' 12-car rallies and one 'National B' status navigational rally. Occasional entrant and marshal.

Junior Treasurer of Cambridge University Railway Club for three years and editor of their journal Eagle for one year.