Advanced Packaging - INDUSTRY NEWS TODAY

Unitive Appoints Beckenbaugh to Board
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.
Unitive Inc. has appointed William Beckenbaugh to its board of directors. He is currently the vice president and chief technical marketing officer for Sanmina-SCI Corp. He also served as vice president and director for Motorola's semiconductor products sector's packaging R&D labs, where he managed the company's advanced semiconductor packaging programs for silicon and gallium arsenide. With more than 25 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, Beckenbaugh holds more than a dozen semiconductor related patents. He earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Rice University and a bachelor's degree in chemistry from MacMurrary College (Jacksonville, Ill.).
Beckenbaugh will work with the Unitive's five other board members to direct the company's future growth. (February 12)

ESEC Opens New Customer Support Center
PHOENIX
Swiss-based ESEC has announced that its U.S. customer support center moved to a new facility in Tempe, Arizona, significantly increasing its space dedicated to applications engineering and customer support.
"ESEC's priority is to work closely with our customers to provide solutions for their processes and unique applications, which is why it is so important for us to have a strong applications engineering team in close proximity," said Kent Connell, VP and general manager, ESEC USA. "Our expanded facility will give us more space to cooperate with our customers located in the U.S., we will have a more ideal setting to continue supporting them."
The new facility is located at 1407 West Drivers Way, Tempe, AZ 85284; Tel: 480-893-6990; Fax: 480-893-6793. (February 11)

Iolon Inc Implements Automation System
SAN JOSE, CALIF.
Iolon Inc. has integrated an assembly automation system to improve yield and streamline production of its high-performance tunable optical devices for intelligent optical networks. The new assembly system from Palomar has reduced the number of complex process steps and helped the company achieve a 10-to-1 improvement in units per labor hour. Specifically, the system achieves precision placement and attach of micro optical components to a ceramic substrate; this eliminates the variability inherent in manual assembly. Such automation has permitted micro optical assemblies to be processed and assembled in a single pass.
Iolon produces a line of high-power, widely tunable lasers available with 10 mW and 20 mW output power in both the C- and L-bands. (February 8)

IMAPS Pacific Rim Events Call for Papers
IMAPS is accepting abstracts until this Monday, February 11, for papers to be presented at a number of IMAPS events in Asia this spring: IMAPS Korea (April 22); IMAPS Shanghai (April 25); IMAPS Hong Kong (April 29); IMAPS Taiwan (May 2); and IMAPS Singapore (May 6).
Papers are being sought from, but not limited to, the following subjects: Advanced Materials & Processes; Advanced Substrate Technology; Area Array Assembly; Automotive Electronics; Chip-Scale Packaging/Flip Chip; High Density Displays; High Density Packaging; Low Cost Packaging Methods; Management & Marketing; Manufacturing Technologies; Medical Electronics; MEMS Packaging and Applications; Modeling & Simulation; Novel Interconnections; Optoelectronics/Photonics; Polymer Materials & Applications; Power Packaging/Thermal Management; Printed Wiring and Flex Boards; Quality & Reliability; RF/Microwave Wireless; Sensor Packaging & Applications; Space & Military Electronics; Statistical Process Control Methods; Surface Mount Technology; Thick & Thin Film Materials; and Wafer Scale Packaging.
Interested authors should submit a 100-300 word abstract by visiting visit www.imaps.org. Selected authors will be notified of acceptance by February 15. (February 7)

Shellcase Receives Investment from Sanyo Electric
JERUSALEM
Shellcase has received a strategic investment of $1 million from Sanyo Semiconductor. The investment is the second closing of Series B funding, which was $20 million raised last April.
Sanyo first entered into cooperation with Shellcase in late 2000, which led to the development of the first CCD miniature camera module designed for the cellular market. Mass production began last May, and several million camera chips have been manufactured.
The two companies plan to continue to expand a line of wafer-level chip scale packages. (February 6)

Switchcore Selects STATS for Turnkey Test and Assembly
SINGAPORE and MILPITAS, CALIF.
ST Assembly Test Services Ltd (STATS) has been chosen to provide turnkey test development, assembly and final testing services for Switchcore AB, a Swedish-based fabless semiconductor company with offices in Silicon Valley and manufacturing operations in Singapore.
It specializes in full-custom design technology that enables speed, accessibility and high levels of functionality in single-chip networking solutions. Switchcore's customers include original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and network equipment vendors in the high-speed marketplace. Its products are used in high data throughput applications, such as highly integrated LAN backbone and workgroup switches in server farms, campus backbones and intranets. The LAN market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 40 percent between 2001 and 2005, according to CBIC estimates. (February 5)

ASE Expands Packaging, Testing to China
TAIPEI
Taiwan packaging and test firm Advanced Semiconductor Equipment (ASE) is planning to invest US$300 million to expand its services to Shanghai in the next five years.
ASE plans to invest US$50 million in Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., a Shanghai firm set up by R.J. Zhang, a former president of Taiwan's Worldwide Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. The capital investment is to cement a business tie and form a strategic alliance with SMIC, the Financial Times reported.
While ASE has already established operations in mainland China in areas including Hangzhou, this new project in Shanghai will provide packaging and testing services for more advanced chips, like those made by SMIC, with processes under 0.25-micron.
ASE is moving ahead with expanding China operations in anticipation of government approval of investments in 200 mm wafers in the mainland by Taiwanese companies. ASE is also looking at the fast development of high-tech industries in Shanghai, an area that plans to develop two industrial districts to accommodate IT enterprises from Taiwan, the Times reported. (February 4)

Nobel Prize Winner to Speak at IEEE Symposium
DALLAS, TEXAS
The International Reliability Physics Symposium (IRPS) announced today that Nobel Prize Winner Jack Kilby, the inventor of the microchip, will be the reception speaker at its 40th symposium. The symposium for the scientific exploration of microelectronic reliability, IRPS 2002, will be held April 7-11 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dallas, Texas.
A feature of the 2002 IRPS, Kilby's presentation will be held during the symposium reception at Union Station on Tuesday, April 9, at 7 p.m. Other features of IRPS 2002 include technical sessions highlighting over 60 papers, a tutorial series on basic reliability engineering for upcoming professionals, and a technically oriented hands-on exhibit that will allow attendees to test and evaluate state of the art reliability analysis equipment.
Among his many other distinguished awards, Kilby holds the 2000 Nobel Prize for Physics for his part in the invention of the integrated circuit. (January 31)

STATS Releases Annual 2001 Results
SINGAPORE AND MILPITAS, CALIF.
ST Assembly Test services Ltd (STATS) today announced results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2001. Net revenues for Q4 were $33.9 million, a decrease of 63.4 percent over fourth quarter 2000 and an increase of 20.9 percent over Q3, which was "significantly better than the reported guidance of a flat to five percent sequential revenue growth," said Harry Davoody, president and chief executive officer.
Davoody attributed the fourth quarter increase in reviews to higher unit shipments (both unit shipments in test and assembly business increased 21.3 percent) and better average selling prices. For the full year of 2001, net revenues were $145.9 million, a decrease of 56 percent over net revenues in 2000.
"Our business appeared to bottom out in the third quarter ? As for the first quarter 2002, based on current visibility, we expect the better business tone to continue and for reviewed to be flat to five percent higher than the fourth quarter," said Davoody. (January 30)

Quality Key for Rebound
BLUE BELL, PA.
After months of steady decline, the manufacturing sector may be ringing in some good news with the New Year -- news that its economic status is finally taking a turn for the better. Some industry experts say that now is an ideal time to focus on ISO 9000 and other quality improvement initiatives that will help manufacturers prepare for the economic recovery ahead.
"The past year or so has been difficult for the entire industry," says John Piechule, ISO Coordinator for Sartomer Co. (Exton, Pa.). "We've all felt the pinch. The industry seems to be reaching a plateau, though, and it may finally be starting to settle. We're lucky because we've been able to put this time to good use and prepare for the upswing."
For Sartomer and many other manufacturers, moving forward involves reevaluating business practices and taking new steps to improve quality, efficiency, and profitability. In the effort to do this, more manufacturers are seeking ISO 9000 certification. The popularity of the ISO quality standards continues to grow among companies, thanks to a revised set of standards and modern tools that are making certification simpler and more affordable than ever before.
"Though ISO 9000 isn't new, the ISO 9001:2000 standard has created a fresh, industry-wide demand for certification. The time to get certified, if you aren't already, is now -- as inventory demands begin to rise and the market reshapes itself," says Mike DePasquale, president and COO of Prism eSolutions, an international consulting, training, and product company that specializes in ISO 9000/QMS, ISO 14000/EMS. "ISO 9001 is considered a requirement for an increasing number of government and private contractors, giving certified companies a definite competitive advantage. And by standardizing the way that companies decrease costs and increase customer retention, it allows them to direct their focus toward improving their business through customer growth and increased market share."
Web-based ISO 9000 support tools can reduce the time and costs of getting ISO 9001:2000-certified.
"The beauty of implementation tools ? is that they're intuitive; they manage the project in a way that ensures compliance, and they keep all key personnel on the same page," said DePasquale. (January 29)

Sumitomo Electric Expands Testing Next-Generation ICs
OSAKA, JAPAN
Using its X-ray lithographic micromachining technology, Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. has developed a contact probe that can be
used to test next-generation high-frequency integrated circuits.
Contact probes work by coming into contact with IC pads and then passing electrical test signals into and out of the pad. As ICs become more integrated and of higher frequencies, more advanced testing technology is required.
By miniaturizing normally 0.5-1 micrometer nickel crystals into 50 nanometers and by arranging crystal orientation in the same direction, the company has succeeded in developing a material that is high in Young?s modulus. .(January 28)

STATS Offers Thinner Version of STPBGA Package
SINGAPORE AND MILPITAS, CALIF.
ST Assembly Test Services Ltd. has introduced a thinner version of its popular Small-Thin Plastic Ball Grid Array (STPBGA) package. Called STPBGA-L ("L" for "low profile"), this new advanced package for integrated circuits offers compact size and low profile at a lower cost.
The new STPBGA-L package fits a range of applications in mobile telecommunications, telecomputing, wireless networking and consumer electronics. Its thin size and lower cost make it particularly suited for handsets, PDAs, Bluetooth products, GPS, camcorders and digital cameras.
STPBGA-L has the same compact size range of 4 mm x 4 mm to 17 mm x 17 mm as the STPBGA package, as well as the same functionality. To achieve a height of 1.2 mm, it uses a thin core laminate substrate and thinner mold cap, which requires more stringent in-process control, while the current STPBGA package has a height of 1.4mm. (January 25)

Newport Corp. to Acquire Micro Robotics Systems, Inc.
IRVINE, CALIF.
Newport Corp. has signed of a definitive agreement to acquire Micro Robotics Systems Inc. (MRSI), a privately held manufacturer of high precision, fully automated assembly and dispensing systems for the fiber optic communications, microwave and semiconductor equipment markets. Newport supplies automated fiber attachment systems to the photonics market.
"A key growth strategy of our company has been to expand Newport's product portfolio and services in order to become a leading single-source supplier of test, measurement and automation solutions to the fiber optic communications and semiconductor equipment markets," said Robert G. Deuster, chairman and chief executive officer of Newport.
"The combination of our two companies will result in significantly enhanced value to our customers as we go forward," said Neil Srivastava, president of MRSI. "Newport's global infrastructure, financial strength and technical expertise will enable us to further leverage our existing world-class products to address the advancing technical requirements in the markets we target for growth ..."
Deuster and Srivastava added that the transaction fits well with an industry move toward automation, in which fiber optics component manufacturers are increasingly seeking to build more integrated automation into their component manufacturing processes.(January 24)

IMAPS Call for Papers
WASHINGTON, D.C.
The 35th International Symposium on Microelectronics, sponsored by the International Microelectronics and Packaging Society, will be held September 4-6 in Denver. The IMAPS Technical Committee seeks original papers that demonstrate how new technologies and applications are expanding and redefining the international role of microelectronics; abstracts of are due February 8.
All abstracts submitted must represent original, previously unpublished work. For a list of topics and the on-line submittal form, visit www.imaps.org. (January 23)

PDF Solutions Reports Record Q401 Results
SAN JOSE, CALIF.
PDF Solutions Inc., a provider of process-design integration infrastructure technologies and services to improve semiconductor companies' IC yield, today announced record financial results for its fourth fiscal quarter (ended December 31, 2001). Revenue for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2001 totaled $10.4 million, an increase of 59 percent compared with revenues of $6.5 million for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2000.
Pro forma net income for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2001, excluding amortization of stock-based compensation and intangibles and a credit to provision for income taxes to reflect the reversal of valuation allowances against deferred tax assets, totaled approximately $1.0 million, compared with pro forma net income of approximately $391,000 for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2000.
According to the company, the shift toward deep-submicron technologies and complex chip design in semiconductor manufacturing, combined with increased time pressure to get products to market, has created a significant opportunity in process-design integration technology. (January 22)

Omron Expands Market Reach
KYOTO, JAPAN
Omron Corp. has announced that it will enter the optical communications devices market. Until now, Omron has manufactured automation equipment for a variety of products using optical characteristics. Omron expects to offer low prices through its proprietary fine replicable processing technology.
Established in 1933, the company has more than 25,000 employees in over 35 countries working to provide products and services to customers in a variety of fields, including industrial automation, electronic components industries, and healthcare. For more information, visit www.omron.com. (January 18)

Martel Named to SAC Board of Directors
Bob Martel of Texas Instruments (Manchester, NH) has been elected to the Semiconductor Assembly Council (SAC) Board of Directors. A member of TI's technical group staff, Martel oversees all packaging and assembly issues related to TI-Manchester Power Management Products. He has worked in the semiconductor packaging field since 1985, and his areas of expertise include signal integrity modeling, thermal analysis, package material interactions, test carrier design and leadframe design. Martel hold a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Tufts University. (January 17)

New Soldering Book Available
UTICA, NY
Dr. Ning-Cheng Lee has authored a new book entitled "Reflow Soldering Processes and Troubleshooting: SMT, BGA, CSP and Flip Chip Technologies." Published by Newnes, Lee's book examines all aspects of troubleshooting today's complex reflow soldering processes involving advanced component technologies, materials, alloys and fluxes, application methods, processing recipes, and more, all with the express purpose of achieving higher throughputs, wider process windows, higher overall yields, and fewer soldering defects.
Lee is the vice president of technology of Indium Corp, of America, where he has worked since 1986. Before joining Indium, he worked for Morton Chemical and SCM. Lee has more than 16 years of experience in the development of fluxes and solder pastes for SMT industries. He received his Ph.D. in polymer science from the University of Akron and a bachelor's in chemistry from the National Taiwan University.
For more information about the book, visit www.indium.com or www.newnespress.com. (January 16)

RAVISENT and eMation Become Axeda Systems Inc.
MANSFIELD, MASS.
RAVISENT Technologies Inc. and its subsidiary, eMation, Inc., announced that they have changed their names to become Axeda Systems Inc. The move comes on the heels of the completion of the acquisition of eMation by RAVISENT last month. Axeda is a provider of device relationship management (DRM) software and services that allow companies optimize their businesses by using the Internet to tap the value of real-time device information. Effective February 5, 2002, the company's stock symbol on the NASDAQ exchange will change to XEDA.
"Device OEMs and service providers are actively pursuing device- enablement opportunities, and we expect that they will look to commercial vendors who have created device management solutions. The Axeda DRM offering will be a helpful solution to companies who want to have Internet access to devices that exist behind corporate firewalls." (January 15)

Fiber Optic Component Automated Assembly & Test Equipment Consumption to Reach $1.71 Billion by 2005
SAN MATEO, CALIF.
According to ElectroniCast's new "Automated Assembly & Test of Fiber Optic Components" report, the global consumption of fiber optic component assembly equipment plus related test units is expected to advanced from $722 million in 2000 to $1.71 billion in 2005 (value in 2001 was $429 million). However, a substantial share of this value in 2000 consisted of manually operated technology-augmented manual assembly stations. Manual assembly products held a 20 percent share of equipment value in 2000
Over the 2000-2005 span, the fully automated equipment value share will expand rapidly, from 2 percent to 7 percent, and the semi-automated share will expand slightly, from 69 percent or $498 million to 74 percent or $1.27 billion.
"The challenge of converting from manual to semi- or fully-automated assembly of fiber optics, is to achieve a high enough production volume to amortize the assembly line cost at a low cost per unit," ElectroniCast Chairman and Founder Jeff D. Montgomery said. "The required rate depends greatly on the component per-unit price and the labor cost savings that could be achieved by switching to automation. There are very few vendors, 2000-2002, with production rates of 1,000 per day or more of any product family. The near term challenge, therefore, for automated assembly vendors, is to develop product-specific automated assembly lines to sell at an appropriate price level, that can reasonably be amortized with relatively low priced components," Montgomery said.
The automated assembly and test equipment market consists of numerous subsets. Each subset includes a wide range of products, which are discussed in the new study. The fiber alignment and attach equipment led consumption value in 2000, with a 29 percent share. In second place, and growing slightly faster, is the equipment for testing, verifying and recording the performance parameters of the components. Impressive growth will be achieved by pick-and-place equipment, and machine vision equipment.
For more information, visit www.electronicast.com. (January 14)

Add RSS Feed