Deepika Singh, D.Sc.

Founder and CEO
R&D Investment Holdings, LLC

18 U.S. Patents

Dr. Deepika Singh is the Founder and CEO of R&D Investment Holdings, LLC. A pioneer in chemical mechanical planarization or polishing (CMP), Dr. Singh developed and incorporated novel chemistries in the polishing of a class of super-hard semiconductors based on silicon carbide and gallium nitride.

In 2002, Dr. Singh founded Sinmat, a company she developed to commercialize Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) technologies for the semiconductor chip industry. These technologies are currently being used by leading global suppliers in some of the fastest-growing markets involving the manufacturing of smart watches, phones, advanced silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) electronics for electric vehicles (EVs), 5G communications infrastructure, and advanced defense electronics.

Ultra-hard materials, such as SiC, GaN, diamond & sapphire, exhibit very low polish rates due to their extreme hardness and chemical inertness. Polishing these materials is extremely difficult without creating defects that can affect chip performance. The CMP processes developed by Dr. Singh incorporate novel chemistries and particles, which enhance polishing rates by 100 times over traditional methods while improving the finish and eliminating sub-surface damage. For SiC, this CMP process has decreased polishing times from greater than 50 hours to about 1 hour, and manufacturing costs by over 90%. In addition to the advances of CMP technology, it also addresses global warming challenges by advancing renewable energy and solid-state lighting.

Dr. Singh was recognized in 2009 by then President Obama at a White House press conference. The President commended her and Sinmat for serving the nation by “helping develop microchips that power smarter energy systems from more efficient hybrid cars to more responsive, efficient lighting for homes and businesses.”

In 2020, Entegris Inc, a leading supplier of specialized materials and chemicals to the semiconductor industry, acquired Sinmat. Dr. Singh then went to found R&D Investment Holdings, where she is engaged in strategies to improve the educational outcomes of underrepresented minorities.

Dr. Singh earned her D.Sc. from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, her M.S. from the University of Florida, and her B.S. from North Carolina State University. She is the recipient of numerous additional awards, including four R&D100 awards—which are also known as the “Oscars of Invention—for developing the top 100 technology products, and the Manufacturing Business of the Year Award. In 2022, she was elected as a Member to the National Academy of Engineering.