Monthly Archives: March 2001

March 7, 2001–Santa Ana, California–A delegation led by RosettaNet CEO Jennifer Hamilton this week visited Beijing, China, to augment the organization’s ongoing dialogue and activities in the region. RosettaNet, the world’s leading global e-business process standards organization, sponsored the tour to foster the growing relationship between the consortium and China’s leading technology companies and organizations in the information technology (IT), electronic components (EC), and semiconductor manufacturing (SM) industries.

During the brief 2-day visit, RosettaNet executives focused on gathering feedback from representatives of the high-tech industry in an effort to demonstrate their commitment to partnering with China in promoting e-business implementation based on standards.

As a result of the tour, RosettaNet hopes to begin formulating a long-range strategy for introducing, developing, and implementing RosettaNet’s business process standards to help drive the country’s global economic reach.

“The hi-tech industry is a global supply chain under tremendous competitive pressure to reduce costs, improve cycle time, and enhance overall efficiency while continuing to innovate,” says Hamilton. “RosettaNet addresses these critical issues by defining and leading the implementation of B2B processes designed to align the electronic business interfaces between supply chain partners. Over the past few months, we have been focused on understanding how RosettaNet’s global standards can readily impact the dynamic e-business climate in China. We were pleased to have the opportunity to meet with respected business leaders and organizations in order to move forward with a plan to expand our visibility, and ultimately establish formal regional ties that support the business interests of China and the economy at large.”

RosettaNet recently created a global organizational structure that focuses on targeted regional groupings–Americas, Asia, and Europe. The goal of the organization is to further expand the adoption of its common supply chain standards that enable companies in Asia and throughout the world to engage in active B2B trading partner relationships via the Internet. In support of this goal, the RosettaNet consortium is looking to establish a presence in China by leveraging its growing initiative in Asia, including RosettaNet activities in Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan. As key industry influencers, these regions are dedicated to the collaborative development and implementation of RosettaNet’s B2B supply chain standards.

March 7, 2001–Munich, Germany–Infineon Technologies AG, one of the leading suppliers of radio frequency (RF) and audio frequency (AF) discrete semiconductors to the communication industry, today introduced a revolutionary packaging technology. The thin, small, leadless package (TSLP) represents a milestone in size, performance, and package innovation, meeting market demands for smaller components in a broad range of wireless and portable products.

Superior chip-scale packaging concepts and leading-edge manufacturing processes enabled Infineon to come up with an innovative plastic lead-less package for discrete devices that consumes only 20% the space of a standard SC-75 package. With an overall footprint of only 1.0 x 0.6 x 0.4 cubic mm, the TSLP package is not just an ultra-miniature size package with a reduced soldering footprint, it marks also a significant height reduction compared to the widely used SC-79 package. The new TSLP is compatible with existing pick-and-place equipment and PCB insertion techniques.

Infineon offers a wide variety of diodes and transistors in this new TSLP-2/3 (2/3-pin). The new package is ideal for any space-saving or innovation-driven application like wireless systems, global system for mobile communications phones, personal digital assistance products (PDA), digital cameras, and portable digital audio/video players.

Due to their reduced parasitics, diodes and transistors using the TSLP show an improved frequency response. This is especially important for all devices working in the radio frequency band from 400MHz up to 2.5GHz where all major mobile communication and wireless Internet standards such as 2.5G and 3G are located.

Using efficient high-volume batch scale production and the elimination of ceramic substrates will have a positive impact on component cost. In addition, the new TSLP is a further contribution to Infineon’s efforts for environmental protection by applying ecologically beneficial materials. With its lead-free and halogen-free components Infineon’s TSLP fulfills all criteria for a “green” package.

High-volume production of devices using the TSLP will commence in April 2001. Future chip scale plans based on innovative TSLP concept also include dual diodes, dual transistors, and small scale integrated semiconductors for various applications.

SWEDEN — The proposed European Food Authority could be operational in less than a year, according to the Swedish EU Presidency.

In a recent report to the EU Council of Ministers, the Swedish Presidency indicated that recent outbreaks of BSE (mad cow disease) and scrapie in sheep illustrate the need for the food organization, which may be operating by early 2002. The goal of the organization is to streamline the existing rules applied by EU nations to ensure safe foods and to regain public confidence in the European food industry.

The presidency hopes to acquire a preliminary political decision on the creation of the food authority at the June 19 Farm Council meeting.

The report also noted that the establishment of the proposed organization is going well, with most member states endorsing the central mission of the authority – which is to provide scientific and technical support to politicians and community legislative actions in areas having an impact on food safety. However, there remain some disagreements on additional missions.

Those debates include the future of a proposed mandate to oversee animal welfare and pant health, as well as questions concerning genetically-modified organisms. Some members feel that the authority should focus on areas that have a direct connection to public health only, according to the report.

Debate is currently ongoing over several other subjects including: an early warning system for food and animal feed; procedures for requesting scientific opinions; what role the authority will have where scientific opinions differ; and the location of the authority’s headquarters.

HOPKINS, MN — MagStar Technologies, Inc. recently announced that it has acquired Quickdraw Conveyor Systems in Burnsville, Minn. MagStar Technologies has acquired all assets and product lines of the company and will relocate the business into its Hopkins facility.

Quickdraw Conveyor Systems manufactures conveyors that are used within advanced automation equipment and general factory automation. Its conveyors are cleanroom certified to class 100 and are marketed within the semiconductor, medical and high tech manufacturing markets.

MagStar Director, James Reissner, stated, “The acquisition of Quickdraw is synergistic with our strategic plans to grow our factory automation business. Our precision machining core competencies at MagStar will also add the expertise needed for Quickdraw’s new QuickEdge conveyor products introduced last year.”

Dave Helgerson, Quickdraw President said, “We are very excited to become a part of MagStar Technologies. Our business models are very complimentary in terms of markets, customers and technology.”

March 7, 2001–Taipei, Taiwan–Silicon Integrated Systems Corp. (SiS) and IBM Corp. have signed a patent cross-licensing agreement that includes design and process related patents. Specific details of the agreement have not yet been disclosed.

SiS is a semiconductor company in Taiwan, founded in 1987, and located in the Science-Based Industrial Park in Hsinchu. The company focuses on leading-edge logic products for mainstream PC markets, including core logic, multimedia, and communication.

March 7, 2001–Tokyo, Japan–Employees of NEC Corp. and its subsidiaries and affiliates across Japan, have raised $90,000 (11 million Yen) to help victims of the January 26th earthquake in India.

The donation, which is among the largest made by a Japanese company, was presented yesterday to the Japanese Red Cross Society by Mr. Hitoshi Suzuki, department manager of NEC’s Social Contributions Department, and Mr. Atsushi Yamaguchi, executive vice president of the NEC Workers’ Union, at a brief ceremony held at the Japanese Red Cross Society.

Immediately after the January 26th earthquake in India, NEC’s Social Contributions Department, in collaboration with NEC’s Workers’ Union, announced that they would raise money for the victims of the earthquake. Beginning February 5th, collection activities were organized in 78 of NEC’s companies throughout Japan. By February 23rd, the extremely positive and sympathetic response from NEC staff had produced a grand total of 11 million Yen.

CINCINNATI, Ohio — Garment and cleanrooms service provider Cintas Corporation has been ranked as the top outsourcing services company by Fortune Magazine in its America’s Most Admired Companies survey.

“As a company that is in the corporate identity business, Cintas is extremely pleased that our own corporate identity is so highly regarded in our industry,” said Robert J. Kohlhepp, chief executive officer of the Cincinnati- based company. “This honor demonstrates the tremendous value our products, services and working partners deliver to our customers.”

Outsourcing services was one of 61 industries surveyed for the February 19 issue of Fortune. Executives, directors and securities analysts within each industry ranked the 10 largest companies in their sectors. Cintas, the leading supplier of corporate identity uniform programs, won best-in-class scores on quality of management, products and services; innovation; investment value; financial soundness and other criteria.

Cintas designs, manufactures and implements corporate identity uniform programs that it rents or sells to customers throughout the United States and Canada. Although uniforms are the core of Cintas’ business, the company also provides a wide range of other business services, including entrance mats, sanitation supplies, cleanroom services and first aid products and services.

March 6, 2001–Willow Grove, Pennsylvania–Kulicke & Soffa Industries Inc. (K&S) announced today that Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc. (ASE) has signed an agreement to purchase a technology license and specialized equipment for K&S’s proprietary OP2 Oxidation Prevention Process, which is used to manufacture copper ICs.

ASE will use the technology, which combines a patent-pending process and specialized equipment, to produce advanced copper wafer ball grid array (BGA) packages at its Kaohsiung, Taiwan, assembly facility.

OP2 is the first commercially available technology for bonding of gold wire, routinely used in ball bonding processes, directly to a copper device, according to K&S Program Director Michael Sheaffer. “Copper is extremely difficult to wire bond, because of the way it oxidizes,” Sheaffer explains. “Until now, the only way to achieve reliable results was to add aluminum or other metal layers over the bond pads–increasing wafer fabrication cost by as much as $100 per wafer. The comparative cost of the OP2 process is a fraction of that amount. We believe our customers will embrace this alternative as copper continues to replace aluminum in high-performance packages.”

“Extensive reliability testing at ASE has shown that OP2 provides excellent results, and we expect the process to provide significant cost benefits to our customers,” says ASE Vice President of Research & Development J.J. Lee. “The process will enable us to combine the performance of copper die with the economics of wire bonding to meet many of our customers’ requirements for high-end, fine-pitch packages.”

OP2 adds a cluster tool process in the assembly factory just prior to wafer dicing. The tool removes native oxides from the copper wafer and protects it from further oxide growth during the dicing, die attach, curing, and wire bonding steps of semiconductor assembly interconnect. This patent-pending process is designed to emulate the mechanisms that are characteristic of traditional gold wire bonding to an aluminum bond pad. Extensive metallurgical analysis has shown that the dynamics of conventional gold-to-aluminum ball bonding are maintained, even though the wafer material is different.

March 6, 2001–Scottsdale, Arizona–Cahners In-Stat market researchers report that while the overall semiconductor industry grew by 36.8% in 2000, leading foundries experienced a faster growth rates in the 60 to 125% range.

Satisfying the approximately 500 to 600 fabless chip start-ups that have emerged during the last decade will require foundries to produce more of the world’s chips during this decade. “While the semiconductor braces for much slower growth in 2001, the foundry segment is expected to outperform the industry as a whole, with foundry revenues expected to rise from $7.6 billion in 1999 to $35.4 billion in 2004,” says Steve Cullen, director of In-Stat’s Semiconductor Service.

In-Stat determined that both integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) and OEMs are shifting more of their manufacturing to third party foundries, while others are even converting older fabs into foundries. “With several fabless chipmakers leaping into manufacturing, the industry’s well-defined functional segmentation lines are becoming blurred,” Cullen says. “Foundries will have a major impact on the new hybrid semiconductor development strategy.”

The market researchers predict that the “Big Three” foundries will continue to add capacity at record levels, while second- and third-tier foundry start-ups will come onto the scene this year. In-Stats also expects foundries to continue to push their advanced process technologies ahead of the IDMs, and also lead the transition to 300mm.

March 6, 2001–Austin, Texas–Motorola, the leading supplier of semiconductors to the automotive industry, and Germany-based Elmos Semiconductor AG, a leading manufacturer of application-specific ICs for automotive electronics, today announced a long-term partnership to jointly drive innovative architectures for the automotive market.

The two companies are joining forces to provide automotive customers more advanced microcontroller choices with an emphasis on broader peripheral sets, price competitive solutions, and fast a time to market. The alliance is expected to offer car manufacturers comprehensive solutions for 8-bit and 16-bit microcontrollers and DSPs, supporting a wide variety of applications. The partnership is intended to combine Motorola’s leading-edge microcontroller cores and powerful subsystems, with Elmos’ expertise in fast, flexible designs of standard and high voltage peripherals. It is anticipated that multiple sources for these powerful standard microcontrollers will be enabled through Motorola’s stable, high-volume production capabilities and Elmos’ flexible production capabilities, providing customers with the partners of choice in the automotive market.

“Advanced automotive systems, including mechatronic design trends, are demanding even greater levels of functional integration and performance. Hence the partnership of Motorola and Elmos, two leading semiconductor suppliers with complimentary strengths within automotive, is a perfect response to customer requirements,” explains Chris Webber, vice president of automotive electronics and telematics practice, Strategy Analytics. “Elmos’ decision to work with Motorola’s 68HC12 microcontroller family reflects the 16-bit core’s dominant position particularly within the automotive body control market.”

As emerging applications drive demand for products with enhanced feature sets, Motorola and Elmos expect to serve the automotive market with the creation of world-class products, based on Motorola’s 8-bit and 16-bit and DSP product lines. Addressing the sub-32K memory space, Motorola’s 8-bit HC08 family’s suggested pricing is expected to allow optimum product choice for emerging and low functionality applications, such as remote keyless entry. Combining embedded flash and EEPROM with on-board networking capabilities, the 16-bit HC12 product line is expected to continue to be the platform of choice for the mid-range networked applications, which include doors, seats, window lifts, HVAC, sun roofs, and lighting, etc. In addition, Motorola is redefining architecture by combining microcontroller and DSP functionality, enabling the Motorola-Elmos alliance to more quickly deliver programmable automotive solutions for electronic power steering (EPS), adaptive cruise control, and new drive by wire applications.

“Elmos and Motorola are committed to providing the industry fast design cycle times and long term supply capabilities,” says Dr. Peter Thoma, vice president and general manager Automotive, Elmos. “The automotive microelectronics industry can expect to benefit from one overall systems knowledge base, operating system, toolset, and supply chain. Jointly we expect to be able to offer fast, flexible design-ins, and full life-time service of the product.”

“Motorola is building effective alliances to anticipate the evolving needs of the automotive industry and to bring future technologies to market faster. The Motorola and Elmos partnership verifies Motorola’s position as the partner of choice, allowing us to serve the industry even more effectively,” says Juergen Weyer, vice president and general manager, Motorola.