Advanced Packaging - INDUSTRY NEWS TODAY

IMAPS Honors Semi Dice with Corporate Recognition Award
LOS ALAMITOS, CALIF.
Semi Dice Inc. is the 2002 recipient of the International Microelectronics and Packaging Society's (IMAPS) Corporate Recognition Award.

Semi Dice was given the award in appreciation of its dedicated service to the industry and for its outstanding contributions to the advancement and success of IMAPS. The award was presented to Semi Dice during a ceremony at the 2002 IMAPS Symposium, the largest symposium for the microelectronics industry and the electronic packaging industry in the world.

Each year at the national IMAPS Symposium, the Awards Selection Committee presents a corporation, or appropriate department of a corporation, with the IMAPS Corporate Recognition Award. Traditionally, recipients have made significant technical contributions to the microelectronics industry. Honorees also demonstrate exceptional support of IMAPS including participation in membership activities, Educational Foundation contributions and continued presence at the annual Symposium.

Semi Dice joined IMAPS in 1979. Over the years, Semi Dice has received numerous IMAPS sponsor awards for contributing to the Educational Foundation as well as, for sponsoring Project 2000, Keynote Luncheons, golf tournaments and silent auctions. The company also participates in the Microelectronics Marketing Research Council (MMRC), a branch of IMAPS that provides a forum for members to organize and support programs designed to analyze the technology and competitive elements impacting the microelectronics packaging marketplace. Semi Dice is a regular exhibitor at the national and local Symposiums.
(November 19)

JEOL Joins Advanced Packaging and Interconnect Alliance
PEABODY, MASS.
JEOL USA Inc. has been accepted as an associate member of the Advanced Packaging Interconnect Alliance (APiA), a global alliance of 29 semiconductor and process suppliers who are advancing the development and implementation of packaging solutions for innovative chipmakers worldwide.

JEOL produces automated defect review SEMs used in both the front and back-end process of semiconductor manufacturing. The automation aspects of JEOL's JWS series of inspection/metrology and defect review SEMs permit fast capture and analysis of sub-micron images. The tools are highly used on the manufacturing floor to maintain and improve yield while permitting engineers to observe critical process improvements.

JEOL SEMs are used for 200 and 300mm wafer inspection and metrology applications as well as to improve yield in the bump fab. There, the JEOL SEM automatically locates and determines the physical details of defects at high resolution and large depth of focus. n integrated EDS system determines chemical composition of the defects and helps in identifying the root cause. The JEOL SEM uses defect files initially pinpointed by August Technology's inspection tools to image the defects, then the data can be downloaded to a yield analysis tool such as the YieldPlot from August Technology.
(November 18)

Datacon Expands Sales and Support Team in North America with Manufacturers Representatives
TREVOSE, PA.
Datacon North America, Inc., a member of the Datacon Technology Group, leading developer and manufacturer of high-precision semiconductor production systems recently completed agreements with four manufacturer's representatives to expand its sales and support efforts to customers in North America.

"Datacon's new representatives will complement our existing expert sales and support staff with advanced packaging expertise and value-added customer support," said David Halk, general manager for Datacon North America Inc. "Datacon is the leading solution supplier for die attach and flip chip equipment in Europe, and our goal is to be the world leader. These new manufacturers representatives are part of our strategy to meet this world leadership goal."

Benchmark Sales, based in Garland, Texas, will cover Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. Chalman Technologies, Anaheim, Calif., is responsible for New Mexico and Southern California. Jay Stone & Associates, based in San Jose, Calif., will handle parts of Nevada and all of Northern California. MPS Associates will cover all of the New England states from its Chelmsford, Mass. office, including Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
(November 15)

Photon Dynamics Appoints New Director of North American Sales and Support
SAN JOSE, CALIF.
Photon Dynamics Inc., a leading provider of integrated yield management solutions for the display, electronics and glass markets, has appointed Troy Johnson as director of North American sales and support.

Johnson will lead the North American distribution channel of Photon Dynamics' worldwide sales and support organization targeted largely at the electronics assembly market.

Johnson's charter will be to further extend the company's commitment to provide North American EMS and OEM electronics assembly companies with focused regional support linked to a global distribution channel.

"Rapid integration of automated inspection equipment into manufacturing facilities is critical to the success of today's printed wiring assembly manufacturers," comments Johnson.

"We believe our customer-centric approach -- partnering with customers to fully understand their yield management requirements, recommending the proper inspection solutions to meet those requirements, and supporting the customer after the sale -- allows Photon Dynamics the ability to provide maximum impact to our customers' yield," concluded Johnson.
(November 14)

Semiconductor 'Chip Camp' Opens at Lam Research in Fremont
FREMONT, CALIF.
Launching ping-pong balls from a homemade catapult may seem an odd way to learn about careers in the semiconductor industry, yet 26 local high school students found out how these two concepts are related at the SEMI Workforce Development Institute, which ran November 5 through November 8 at the headquarters of Lam Research Corp. here.

The program was presented by Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), co-hosted by Lam and Intel Corp.

The four-day "chip camp" explored the science and business of making semiconductors as a way of exposing students to career possibilities available to them within the semiconductor and related high-tech industries. In addition to the hands-on experiments and exercises, students received practical academic and career guidance.

The ping-pong ball catapult, which was incorporated into a lesson about math and measurement, was just one of several exercises designed to engage students in understanding the importance of math and science, not only in semiconductor manufacturing, but also in relationship to other technology-related career opportunities.

The 26 students who participated in the program were selected from high schools across Silicon Valley including Branham, Foothill, Irvington, Kennedy, Milpitas, Monte Vista, Newark Memorial, Oak Grove, Prospect, Saratoga and St. Lawrence Academy. Volunteer workforce specialists from Mission College working with teachers and school counselors helped select the student participants.

"The students jumped right into the experiments and team-building exercises and are fully engaged in the lessons," said Lisa Anderson, vice president of workforce development for SEMI. "There's so much promise and possibility in this classroom and it is great to be able to connect with such bright young people."

First piloted in 2001, the SEMI Workforce Development Institute was the first of three "chip camps" to be held in Silicon Valley over the next year. In total, at least eight additional programs are planned nationwide in 2003.
(November 13)

SAC Semi-Annual Meeting Discusses China, GECI
SUNNYVALE, CALIF.
The Semiconductor Assembly Council's (SAC) Semi-Annual Meeting, taking place November 13 through 14 here at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel, will touch on a myriad of industry issues.

On Wednesday, November 13, events will include a special technology session entitled "Today's Chip Scale Packaging." There also will be an afternoon session on doing business in China, as well as Subcontractor Awards in the evening during a special dinner presentation.

On Thursday, November 14, a Best Practice Presentation entitled "Best-in-Class Performance Improvement System" will be presented by Lucy Strandberg, training manager and team leader for Analog Devices and Ingrid Gudenas, CEO and president of Effective Training Solutions. Following this, Vivek Gupta of Intel will present "GECI (Global Environmental Coordination Initiative) - Lead-free Transition Update." The afternoon will focus on transitioning from QS-9000 to ISO/TS 16949:2002 and lessons learned from implementation.

Endicott Interconnect Completes Purchase of IBM Facility, Operations
ENDICOTT, N.Y.
Endicott Interconnect Technologies Inc. has completed the acquisition of IBM's Endicott facility and the Microelectronic manufacturing operations located there.

Endicott purchased the location and manufacturing operation for $65 million. The company will receive the backing of New York state through tax incentives and plans to retain the jobs of about 2,000 highly skilled employees.

In addition, IBM has committed to lease back 1.4 million sq. ft of the campus for 10 years to house approximately 2,000 workers involved in the ongoing IBM operations at the site. The remaining unutilized real estate, which includes office and lab space will be made available for lease.

Investment in the Endicott facility comes at a time when many companies are struggling with market conditions. The Endicott operations have provided hardware and service solutions to companies outside of IBM since 1993. The new company will continue to focus on providing advanced technical solutions to its customers in the high-end information technology market, where a limited supplier base exists, while expanding into new areas such as military, automotive and medical applications. The new owners plan to make investments to build the company, introduce a new entrepreneurial spirit and take advantage of a reduced cost structure to provide world-class solutions to the industry.

The manufacturing operation, which commences business as Endicott Interconnect Technologies Inc., is a world-class supplier of organic semiconductor chip packaging, printed circuit boards and assembly service. With more than 40 years of experience in providing the microelectronics hardware found in IBM systems, the company brings to market a unique mix of leading edge technology and technical know-how to provide customers with a time-to-market advantage and competitive differentiation.
(November 11)

Cerxon Microtechnologies Opens New Thick Film Prototype Development Lab
MARTINSVILLE, VA.
Cerxon Microtechnologies has opened a new thick film prototype development lab in its facility here.

The new lab is designed for rapid turnaround of prototype and low-to-mid volume production. The prototype development lab encompasses, in one facility, engineering design and layout, onsite screen tool development, laser machining of ceramic substrates, thick film printing of metal networks and passive components, firing, and precision laser trimming.

Cerxon develops and manufactures hybrid microelectronic substrates for military, communications, automotive, medical and consumer applications.
(November 8)

SIX SIGMA Relocates to New Facilities
MILPITAS, CALIF.
SIX SIGMA, a leading provider of lead finish, BGA reballing, and column attach services for the electronics industry, announced today that it has completed its relocation to a new facility located at 905 Montague Expressway here.

Six Sigma's multi-million dollar custom-designed facility is located in the heart of the fast-paced, cutting-edge Silicon Valley. "Our newly purchased 24,000 sq. ft facility insures a permanent presence in which to service our customers and remain on the cutting edge of technology," stated Six Sigma's president, Russ Winslow.

SIX SIGMA began operations in 1990 providing hot solder lead finish services and related testing for the semiconductor and printed circuit board industries. Today, Six Sigma has expanded its services to include solder column attach, BGA ball attach and BGA reballing services. Components processed by SIX SIGMA are in applications that vary from the most sophisticated missile guidance systems, to the engine controllers in commercial airlines, to automobile passive restraint systems. Today, SIX SIGMA is a recognized leader in semiconductor lead finish -- processing millions of high-reliability semiconductor components each year.
(November 7)

Advanced Interconnect Technologies Names Baz Matvichuk as Vice President Sales, Asia
PLEASANTON, CALIF.
Advanced Interconnect Technologies Inc. (AIT), a global leader in semiconductor assembly and test services, today announced the appointment of Baz Matvichuk as vice president sales, Asia.

Matvichuk will be responsible for all aspects of business development, sales and customer support for the entire Asia region, and will report directly to Ralph Duceour, CEO and president of AIT.

Matvichuk brings more than 20 years of industry experience to his position as the vice president of sales for AIT in Asia. Prior to joining AIT, Matvichuk held several positions with Amkor Technologies. Most recently he served as vice president, Europe Region for Amkor Technology Euroservices. His tenure at Amkor also included positions as vice president of Strategic Accounts and director of Strategic Accounts, which included responsibility for the assembly and test technical support team in Europe.

Prior to Amkor, Matvichuk held positions that included package design and development engineering at Robert Bosch, Germany, and package engineering at Marconi Electronic Devices, United Kingdom.

Matvichuk earned an Engineering Certificate, Technical Engineering Certificate and a Higher Technical Certificate from North Lindsey College of Technology, in conjunction with the British Steel Corp. He also speaks English, German and French.
(November 6)

Aries Electronics Partners with Altanova
FRENCHTOWN, N.J.
SAN JOSE, CALIF.
Aries Electronics, an international manufacturer of standard, programmed and custom interconnection products, has formed a mutual distributor relationship with Altanova to provide a more complete semiconductor test solution.

Customers can now procure Aries' Microstrip, Spring Probe, Kapton Interposer and Integra 27 test sockets with corresponding Altanova load boards through Aries Electronics.

Altanova, which specializes in high speed digital, mixed signal and RF boards used in semiconductor test, also produces sockets, contactors, heat sinks, docking plates and other machined parts for semiconductor test. Its design team uses state-of-the-art "smart" design software that ensures schematic and layout integrity, and Altanova's application engineers use several types of simulation software to model out signal characteristics.

Aries Electronics products include several patented concepts for BGA (ball grid array), Chip Scale, and LGA (land grid array) sockets as well as Correct-A-Chip intelligent connectors that incorporate both passive and active components. The company also manufactures adapters, high frequency test and burn-in sockets, Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) test sockets for DIP, PGA, PLCC and SOIC devices, as well as DIP, SIP and special purpose sockets, headers and covers. Aries also provides programmable devices, jumper and cable assemblies, flexible cable products, square pin connectors, and specialty electronic connectors.
(November 5)

SEMI Reports Third Quarter 2002 Silicon Wafer Area Shipments
SAN JOSE, CALIF.
Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments declined slightly during the third quarter 2002 when compared to the second quarter 2002 area shipments, according to Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry.

Total silicon wafer area shipments were 1,263 million sq. in. during the most recent quarter, down from the 1,273 million sq. in. shipped during the previous quarter. The new quarterly total area shipments represent a 53 percent improvement compared to the third quarter 2001 area shipments, but are 13 percent below the peak of 1,427 million sq. in. in the third quarter of 2000.

"The relatively flat wafer shipment figure for this quarter was to be expected given the weakness in the broader technology sector," said Stanley T. Myers, president and CEO of SEMI. "2002 has proven to be another difficult year for the entire semiconductor industry, and investment by the wafer manufacturers to satisfy escalating wafer product diversity will continue to be a challenge."
(November 4)

IPC Issues Call for Papers for 'Flex and Chips' Conference
NORTHBROOK, ILL.
IPC-Association Connecting Electronics Industries( announces a call for papers for its International Symposium on Flexible Circuits and Chip Scale Packaging (CSP), which takes place Feb. 10-12, 2003, at the Fiesta Inn in Tempe, Ariz.

Selected papers will be presented at the International Symposium on Flexible Circuits and CSP and published in the technical proceedings. Papers are being sought from the following areas:

Abstracts of the unpublished work detailing case histories, field data, new technologies or innovations or research and findings must be received by Wednesday, November 20, 2002. Each abstract should be approximately 200-300 words in length.
(November 1)

Prospects for Global Semiconductor, Semiconductor Capital Equipment Industries Focus of SEMI Outlook Dinners in Austin, Dallas
AUSTIN, TEXAS
The outlook for recovery in 2003 and beyond in the global semiconductor and semiconductor capital equipment industries will be the focus of the SEMI Outlook Dinners, Tuesday, November
12, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at the Marriott Quorum in Dallas; and Wednesday, November 13, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at the Omni Downtown in Austin.
The SEMI Outlook Dinners are presented by Semiconductor Equipment and Materials
International (SEMI).
Bill McLean, president of IC Insights, will provide the outlook for the semiconductor and semiconductor capital equipment industries for 2003 and beyond. His presentation will include discussion on:

Anam Selects Agilent Technologies' Semiconductor Parametric Test System for High-Volume Flash Memory Wafer Test
PALO ALTO, Calif.
Anam Semiconductor has selected Agilent Technologies Inc.'s Agilent 4072A Semiconductor Parametric Test System to test high-volume flash memory wafers used in digital cameras, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and other memory devices.

Anam's decision was based on the 4072A's stable throughput and proven capabilities in flash memory test.

"The Agilent 4072A is a cost-effective platform we can count on to test a broad range of flash memory wafer designs," said Jun-Ho Jang, test manager, Anam Semiconductor. "The system's capabilities and Agilent's local technical support team help us develop efficient test programs for our different flash memory device types."

"Agilent's Korean support team worked closely with Anam as they transitioned to the 4072A for flash memory parametric test and we'll continue to work with Anam as their test needs change to ensure their test programs are always as efficient as possible," said Sung-Hyun Chang, Agilent's Korea country manager. "With the Agilent 4072A and a team of test experts to support it, Anam is prepared to test any type of flash memory wafer that comes out of their fab."

The Agilent 4072A is used for a variety of parametric tests, including DC parametric diagnosis, a crucial test in flash memory wafer fabrication, process measurement and silicon quality assurance. Data gathered during DC parametric diagnosis allows engineers to evaluate the quality of a silicon process and helps increase downstream device yields. The unique architecture of the 4072A enables it to make these DC parametric measurements quickly and accurately.
(October 30)

Leading Materials Scientist Joins Lumenon Advisory Board
ST-LAURENT, QUEBEC
Lumenon Innovative Lightwave Technology Inc., a manufacturer of high-quality optical devices for the global telecommunications, data communications and cable television markets, has appointed Dr. C.P. Wong to Lumenon's Technology Advisory Board.

Dr. Wong is currently Regents' Professor at the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology and a Research Director at the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Packaging Research Center at Georgia Tech. Dr. Wong will advise the company in the area of photonic materials science and packaging.

"I am very honored to have the opportunity to contribute to the work that
Dr. Andrews and his team have been engaged in at Lumenon. I believe the
company's activities in polymeric materials hold much promise for applications in photonic communications, and I am very impressed with the progress Lumenon has made towards their commercialization," stated Dr. Wong.

Dr. Wong received his B.S. degree in chemistry from Purdue University, and his Ph.D. degree in inorganic/organic chemistry from Pennsylvania State University. After his doctoral study, he was awarded a two-year postdoctoral fellowship with Nobel Laureate Professor Henry Taube at Stanford University, where he conducted studies on electron transfer and reaction mechanisms of metallocomplexes. In a breakthrough in metalloporphyrin chemistry, Dr. Wong synthesized the first known lanthanide and actinide porphyrin complexes.

He became a distinguished member of the technical staff at AT&T Bell Laboratories where he was involved in research and development of inorganic and organic polymeric materials for electronic and photonic applications. For his fundamental contributions to low-cost high performance plastic packaging of semiconductors, he was elected an AT&T Bell Laboratories Fellow in 1992.
(October 29)

Barry Industries Appoints Sales and Marketing Manager
ATTLEBORO, MASS.
Barry Industries has appointed Rob Sinclair to the position of sales and marketing manager.

Sinclair will be responsible for launching the new LTCC product line and capabilities available from Barry Industries, he will also manage the existing product lines in the New England region.

Sinclair brings with him extensive experience with companies like Alpha Industries, M/A-Com, Lucent Technologies, Power One and Raytheon.
(October 28)

Matheson Tri-Gas Inc. Expands Site Services Offerings To Compound Semiconductors
PARSIPPANY, N.J.
Matheson Tri-Gas Inc. has tailored part of their successful Site Services program to address the various unique needs of its Compound Semiconductor customers.

Both harsh and booming economic times create a need for customers to outsource various segments of their critical facilities requirements. Matheson Tri-Gas has responded to these requests by creating numerous levels of Site Services options for their customers to choose from.

Matheson Tri-Gas' Site Service options range from individual cylinder or purifier change-outs scheduled by the customer, to full 24/7 coverage of bulk gases, the gas pad, metal organics, gas detection and equipment. "We continue to hear from our customers about their need to improve their facilities management & EHS practices, and since Matheson Tri-Gas is a primary manufacturer of the core products used within the Compound Semiconductor market, I feel that we are an outstanding resource to our customers," said Fred Greene, Compound
Semiconductor marketing manager, Matheson Tri-Gas.
(October 25)

SMTA Establishes Student Chapters
MINNEAPOLIS
In an effort to strengthen ties between academia and industry and to enrich post-secondary students' education in electronics assembly, surface mount technology, microelectronics, electronics packaging or related curricula, the SMTA has established student chapters.

The mission of SMTA student chapters is to create learning opportunities for networks of post-secondary students to develop professional skills and the knowledge necessary to work in electronic assembly technologies and related business operations.

Student chapters are being established at post-secondary institutions with curricula that support electronics assembly, surface mount technology, microelectronics, electronics packaging or related industries. A minimum of five student members is required to start and maintain a student chapter, in addition to a faculty advisor who provides continuity and direction to the chapter and who serves as the link to the SMTA Student Chapter Committee and SMTA headquarters.
(October 24)

Amkor Selects Datacon for 300 mm Technology
TREVOSE, PA.
Datacon North America, Inc., a member of Datacon Technology AG, a leading developer and manufacturer of high-precision semiconductor production systems, has received an order from Amkor Technology Inc. for Datacon's 2200 apm+ Multi-Chip Die Bonder.

The 2200 apm+ die bonder will be used to assemble large die flip chip devices for major U.S. based semiconductor manufacturers. In addition, it will support development and production capability for additional 300 mm applications.

Amkor evaluated several companies in its search for the best 300 mm technology solution. "We see our customers' requirements continually growing for larger flip chip die, and we were impressed with the capability of the Datacon 2200 apm+ to pick, flip, dip, align and place die up to 50 mm," said Richard Groover, Amkor's vice president for flip chip technology.

"Amkor already has a large installed base of Datacon machines to support flip chip and MCM applications. The Datacon 2200 apm+ is fully compatible with our existing equipment lines supporting 200 mm technology and completes our equipment selection and installation for 300 mm wafer handling in our flip chip assembly lines," said Groover.

"Amkor is a repeat Datacon customer," said David Halk, general manager for Datacon North America, "They rely on us to provide outstanding customer support, in addition to reliable equipment that meets their accuracy, throughput and machine uptime requirements."
(October 23)

Ansoft Donation Begins Educational Partnership with Carnegie Mellon University's New Center for Wireless and Broadband Networking
PITTSBURGH
Ansoft Corp. has formed an educational partnership with Carnegie Mellon
University's new Center for Wireless and Broadband Networking (CWBN) by donating advanced software for the virtual design of high-frequency technology.

The in-kind contribution, which begins a new three-year partnership between Ansoft and CWBN, includes an initial donation of Ansoft's HFSS and Ansoft Designer packages as well as support. The Center's students, faculty and other members will use the software to help them design, analyze and understand wired, optical and wireless networks and systems.

"Ansoft's tools will be an integral part of our research," said Dan Stancil,
CWBN director and professor of electrical and computer engineering at
Carnegie Mellon. "We're glad to have Ansoft as one of our first partners and look forward to using their innovative software tools to advance our understanding of networks and telecommunications."

The Center, founded in 2001 and publicly announced this past April, was designed to create and disseminate knowledge about advanced heterogeneous networks through research, teaching and technology transfer. The center, featuring more than 20 Carnegie Mellon faculty members and more than 50 research projects, is organized into four distinct areas of expertise, including networking, wireless communication, telecommunications policy and optical communications.
(October 22)

Lee Receives Member of Distinction Award From SMTA
UTICA, N.Y.
The Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA) presented Dr. Ning-Cheng Lee, vice president of technology, Indium Corp. of America, with their Member of Distinction Award at its Annual Meeting in Chicago on September 24, 2002.

Lee is most well known for his technical expertise in the art of soldering. Since joining the SMTA in 1994 he has continuously served the SMTA as paper presenter, session chair and tutorial instructor. He is also helping the SMTA expand internationally, acting as the liaison for the Taiwan Chapter. Lee is the author of the renowned textbook, Reflow Soldering Processes and Troubleshooting SMT, BGA, CSP and Flip Chip Technologies, and a co-author of the newly released textbook, Electronics Manufacturing with Lead-Free, Halogen-Free & Conductive Adhesive Materials.

Lee is the vice president of technology of Indium Corp. of America. He has been with Indium since 1986. Prior to joining Indium, he was with Morton Chemical and SCM. Lee has more than 16 years of experience in the development of fluxes and solder pastes for SMT processes.

In addition, Lee has extensive experience in the development of high temperature polymers, encapsulants for microelectronics and adhesives. He has given numerous presentations and short courses worldwide on those subjects. Lee received his Ph.D. in polymer science from the University of Akron in 1981 and a BS in chemistry from the National Taiwan University in 1973.
(October 21)

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