SUMMARY
Tejinder Singh is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Eugenus, Inc., a leading semiconductor equipment company based in Silicon Valley. Eugenus specializes in designing and manufacturing wafer fabrication equipment for semiconductor manufacturers. As the global semiconductor industry continues to grow, driven by technologies like AI, smartphones, and electric vehicles, Eugenus focuses on Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technology, a deposition process to deposit Angstrom level thin films on wafers. ALD plays a crucial role in producing advanced 3D semiconductor chips like Logic, DRAM, and NAND. Under Tejinder's leadership, Eugenus is leveraging its innovative legacy and expertise to meet the rising demand for ALD products and position itself as a leader in the global market.
BACKGROUND
Born in India, Tejinder completed his B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA. Tejinder has 20+ years of experience in semiconductor technology and previously led the 300mm Product Management Team at Applied Materials. He has also worked in R&D and manufacturing at Intel and Samsung. Tejinder recently earned his MBA from Wharton where he was the top-ranked student in a class of 100 students. He received the Benjamin Franklin Award and Palmer Scholar recognition at Wharton for his strong work ethic, practical application of ideas, teamwork, and quick help.
He was also named as one of the 2023 Best and Brightest Executive MBAs by Poets & Quants. At Applied Materials, he secured six U.S. patents in just 24 months that earned him a "Prolific Inventor" award in 2022. Since joining Eugenus, he has led the entire product and technical organization in developing next-generation semiconductor products and technologies. He is passionate about leadership, technology, and education; he believes he is a product of education, and he is enthusiastic about developing innovative products for the semiconductor industry.
PERSONAL LIFE
Tejinder emphasizes the importance of balance in his personal life. As a father of two young children, he finds motivation in spending quality time with his family. He actively helps his daughter with schoolwork and teaches his son basic skills, ensuring that family time is both enriching and productive. Tejinder also enjoys traveling for work, which allows him to experience different cultures and gain new perspectives. He is an avid reader and is currently reading Matt Ridley's "How Innovation Works," which describes innovation as gradual, serendipitous, and requiring teamwork. He is an active participant in industry forums and recently attended the 2024 ALD/ALE conference in Helsinki. This allows him to stay connected with industry trends which fuels his passion for learning and professional growth.
INNOVATION & EXECUTION
Tejinder played a crucial role in driving Eugenus toward growth. When he joined, the company had a solid foundation but needed stronger execution to expand. He focused on three key areas:
1. Innovation to Commercialization: Tejinder pushes for a stronger focus on commercialization, ensuring that innovation projects are aligned with business goals. By engaging customers early, Eugenus is able to capture key market opportunities and deliver tailored solutions.
2. Execution: He emphasizes the importance of disciplined execution, ensuring that projects are completed on time, which builds customer trust and gives Eugenus a competitive edge in the fast-paced semiconductor industry.
3. Talent and People: Recognizing that people are the core of success, Tejinder focuses on reviewing roles and responsibilities and building a skilled technical team. He actively participates in hiring to ensure new employees fit the company’s culture of innovation and disciplined execution.
LEADERSHIP
The leadership team at Eugenus, including CEO JW Kim, CBO Curt Vass, COO Jason Kim, and CTO himself, sets the vision, mission, and values, with an annual sales and development strategy as the overarching goal. Tejinder Singh’s leadership at Eugenus is grounded in three key pillars:
1. Building Trust and Relationships: Tejinder prioritizes trust within his team, organizing the technology development team into six core technology centers (CTCs). By delegating tasks to trusted CTC leaders, he focuses on business strategy. He believes that emotional intelligence (EQ), a key lesson from his Wharton Executive MBA, is essential to effective leadership.
2. Fostering a Culture of Innovation: Tejinder promotes innovation by encouraging a safe environment for experimentation. This focus has led to the commercialization of new products, including securing a multi-million-dollar deal shortly after he joined.
3. Driving Execution with Purpose: He emphasizes the importance of execution, ensuring that his team is aligned, accountable, and disciplined. Tejinder believes successful leadership involves not only setting a vision but also ensuring projects are completed on time, which helps build customer trust and drives business growth.
VALUE CREATION
As CTO, Tejinder’s focus is on value creation for customers through innovative projects in DRAM, Logic, and Power Semiconductors. While Eugenus' current focus is on ALD, the team is exploring new areas for growth. Key initiatives include:
1. New ALD Applications: Developing advanced films to support 3D architectures in Logic, DRAM, and NAND devices.
2. Collaborative R&D: Strengthening partnerships to co-develop tailored solutions for customer challenges.
3. Sustainability: Eugenus is investing in energy-efficient products to support customers' net-zero goals. Their upcoming solutions will incorporate greenhouse gases in new processes and lower energy usage, helping customers meet sustainability goals without compromising performance.
In summary, Tejinder is proud of the company's progress and excited for future growth and leadership in the semiconductor industry.
Tejinder Singh
Chief Technology Officer
Eugenus, Inc.
At Eugenus, Inc. we combine expertise and innovation required to develop highly complex technologies. With the most productive ALD and CVD systems in the world, we are enabling future applications. We encourage a creative and sometimes an even revolutionary approach to delivering customer solutions. We take progress personally.