Daniel Schmidt

June 17, 2026 Francois Martin

Daniel Schmidt brings over 20 years of semiconductor metrology experience to Laser Thermal, with a career built at the intersection of advanced materials characterization and manufacturing-ready measurement solutions.
He earned his undergraduate degree in Microsystems Technology in Germany and his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He went on to hold a Senior Research Fellow position at the National University of Singapore, followed by senior roles at GlobalFoundries focused on metrology development for EUV lithography and process characterization. At IBM Research in Albany, he led a team developing metrology solutions for next-generation semiconductor manufacturing, working across optical and X-ray characterization techniques with a consistent focus on translating complex measurement capabilities into practical process control.
At Laser Thermal, Daniel leads technology strategy and the development of next-generation thermal metrology solutions. His work connects thermal property measurements to the materials selection, device performance, and reliability challenges that the semiconductor industry faces at every node. He brings particular depth in lab-to-fab transitions, ensuring that measurement capabilities developed in research environments become viable tools in manufacturing contexts.
He has authored or co-authored more than 80 journal articles and 125 conference contributions, and 3 book chapters, holds over 20 U.S. patents and applications, and is a Senior Member of SPIE, IBM Top Performer 2020, and Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Micro/Nanopatterning, Materials, and Metrology.

Francois Martin

Francois Martin

Francois Martin is Marketing Manager at Laser Thermal. The company makes precision instruments for non-contact, non-destructive thermal conductivity measurement, serving the semiconductor, power electronics and thermal management industries. He oversees how Laser Thermal tells its story, from technical content and sales collateral to video production, webinars and trade show presence. The goal is to make the company's science clear and useful to the engineers and researchers who rely on accurate thermal data. Francois brings more than 25 years of marketing and executive leadership experience. He was VP of Marketing at Nelson Miller Group, an outsourced manufacturing provider for OEMs. Before that, he spent more than two decades at WorldStrides, rising from Marketing Director to Senior Vice President in the Office of the CEO. He is adjunct faculty in the MBA program at James Madison University's College of Business, where he teaches Project Management. Francois holds an MBA in Marketing from George Washington University and a Graduate Certificate in Project Management from the University of Virginia.