By Kathleen M. Peterson, Assistant Editor
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When I was first introduced to the semiconductor packaging industry, my colleagues educated me about interconnection technologies – gave me a crash course on ICs and PCBs, and loaded me down with jargon. But I quickly learned that this industry is about much more than literal interconnects (wire bonding, TAB, flip chip and MEMS interconnects).
What intrigues me most – and what, I believe, will continue to drive the development of breakthrough technologies – is not simply the methods used to attach an IC package to a PCB. It is the manner in which we forge personal and professional “interconnections,” working together toward a set of shared goals.
We all want the same things: products that are smaller, faster, cheaper and more reliable. It is the recognition of this common concern that allows us to achieve our ambitious goals.
Here at Advanced Packaging magazine, we are particularly interested in and encouraged by examples of productive collaboration. This is inherent in the magazine itself – by our focus on collaboration in our “Industry Voices” guest column, and our “Partners in Manufacturing” series. This month, you'll read about the collaborative efforts of Ceramic Interconnect Initiative members (“In the News,” page 19) and about technologies that work in concert to enhance the packaging process.
Advanced Packaging is rooted in the idea of “interconnections,” as we often focus on connections between collaborating companies (joint ventures, initiatives and councils), and the relationships between OEMs and contract manufacturers. I have seen the vast network of intracorporate connections that are necessary in developing, driving and delivering new products and services (connections among engineers, scientists, managers and marketing departments). And each month, I do my own brand of collaborating with authors and industry contacts to ensure that we're relaying cutting-edge information to our readers.
Just recently, I witnessed two forms of interconnection that gave me pause. At ECTC 2000 (Las Vegas), I was encouraged by the clusters of enthusiastic attendees that gathered around the poster presentations. The amount of information that was shared through lively conversation was staggering.
And just a few weeks ago, I attended a seminar that featured presentations from two collaborating companies. At first, I found it maddening that I couldn't remember each person's affiliation without consulting his or her nametag. Then it occurred to me that it really didn't matter – that, as members of one dynamic and united community, we are all dedicated to the same cause.
Until we connect again,
Kathleen M. Peterson
Assistant Editor
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