10/28/2008  by Gail Flower, Editor-in-Chief, Advanced Packaging
IMEC remains on the forefront of research in many areas including nanotechnology, RF MEMS packaging, flip-chip, substrates, organic electronics, CMOS-based research, solar cells, and 3D stacked integrated circuits. In 3D stacked packages an area of predicted high-growth, IMEC has announced notable achievements.

10/22/2008  Ziptronix execs reveal technical details on its direct bond interconnect technology, which the company says is key to low-cost wafer-to-wafer or chip-to-wafer bonding without high-temperature compression.

10/21/2008  By Fran

10/14/2008  The AltaCVD chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) tool from Altatech combines a unique vaporizer technology, chamber design, and gas/liquid panel integration. The combination of a proprietary reactor design and precursor introduction path with a pulsed liquid injection and vaporization is said to enable nanoscale control of thickness, uniformity, composition, and stoichiometry in complex materials.

10/07/2008  Suss MicroTec has replaced board member and CEO Stefan Schneidewind with Christian Schubert effective immediately, citing "differing views regarding the future strategy of the company." A search for a new permanent CEO will take place.

09/25/2008  Things may appear to be slow right now in the semiconductor industry, but fab expanision due to the 300mm transition, the focus of resources on improving factory efficiency, and the expected adoption of through silicon vias (TSVs) bodes well for equipment manufactures in 2009. Wilfried Bair, VP business development and general manager, Bonder Division talked to AP about how SUSS MicroTec is getting ready for 300mm and 3D integration.

09/24/2008  SMT editor-in-chief Gail Flower chaired a panel comprising equipment supplier, laboratory, EMS provider, and consultant voices at IPC Midwest in Schaumburg, Ill. David Geiger, Flextronics International; Jacques Coderre, Unovis Solutions; Vern Solberg, STI - Madison; and Gene Dunn, Panasonic Factory Solutions of America spoke about emerging packaging technologies.

09/16/2008  Using 2D and 3D X-ray techniques to find and confirm manufacturing defects in flip-chip devices
By Evstatin Krastev, Ph.D. Dage Precision Industries, a Nordson Company
While flip chip design eliminates excessive packaging, high-density flip chip devices place a greater burden upon device inspection. The combination of 2D x-ray and CT analysis offers powerful analytical capabilities need for the complete inspection of flip-chip devices and stacked packages.

09/16/2008  In response to market needs for 300mm process equipment capabilities to demonstrate 3D processes, SUSS MicroTec has introduced The XBC300. The XBC300 is designed for 3D integration and 3D packaging with through silicon vias (TSVs) and is ideal for the CMOS image sensor (CIS) early adopter market.

09/16/2008  Georgia Institute of Technology
There is a need for miniaturization at the IC, module, and system levels. There is stil research and development required to bring this hetero-integration technology to cost-effective implementation with required reliability and performance needs. In addition to the module level, we must focus on performance, form factor, cost, and reliability of the entire system.

09/09/2008  Tom Mika, CEO of Tegal, gives SST some further insights into his company's plans behind its proposed acquisition of Alcatel Micro Machining Systems' deep reactive ion etch and other technologies -- including how the company will leverage its existing presence in MEMS, finding the balance between serving R&D and production needs, and fighting much larger competitors.

09/08/2008  Tegal Corp.'s proposed acquisition of Alcatel Micro Machining Systems' (AMMS) deep reactive ion etch (DRIE) and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) products is "a critical part of our growth strategy" to extend into higher-growth markets in 3D IC packaging and MEMS devices, the company asserts.

07/22/2008  by Fran

07/22/2008  The second-generation SUSS MA300, from SUSS MicroTec is a highly automated mask aligner platform for 300-mm and 200-mm wafers. Specifically designed for 3D packaging, it features a dedicated alignment kit for creating 3D interconnects for applications like chip stacking and 3D image sensor packaging. It also targets wafer bumping and wafer level packaging (WLP) applications, but can be used for other technologies where geometries in the range of 5 and 100 µm must be exposed.

07/14/2008  IMEC and Qualcomm collaborate on 3D packaging technologies; IPC meets internationally to discuss urgent trends; iNEMI releases recommendations for lead-free alloy alternatives.

07/14/2008  July 14, 2008 - Wireless fabless developer Qualcomm has joined European R&D consortium IMEC's industrial affiliation program on 3D integration to understand and develop ways to use 3D wafer-level packaging and 3D stacked ICs in future wireless products.

07/08/2008  EV Group(EVG)announced the order and successful installation of its 300-mm bonding, alignment, and photoresist fully automatic processing tools at ST Microelectronics'(ST) 300-mm through-silicon-via (TSV) pilot line in Crolles, France. The company says the tools will be used in the manufacture of CMOS imaging sensors (CIS) Using TSV technology.

07/08/2008  In a pre-SEMICON West interview, Ludo Deferm, IMEC's VP of business development, discusses the changes required in R&D models to accommodate fabless/fab-lite companies, and how IMEC is helping research partners understand the impact of 3D technology and the added value of design.

07/01/2008  What do you do when work doesn’t leave a moment to spare? You take a break to gain a new perspective.

07/01/2008  Riding on recent advances in nano-fabrication technology, thin-film thermoelectric coolers (TF-TEC) have been developed with active material as thin as 10-20