11/01/2006 There is growing evidence that the RoHS directive banning lead solders in electronic equipment has fallen victim of the Law of Unintended Consequences.
11/01/2006 Advanced 3-D packages are replacing leadframe packages with the emergence of more subsystem integration, strengthened by advances in wafer-level technology.
11/01/2006 Tin is a common component of solders because of its desirable properties such as low melting point, high diffusivity, low surface tension in the liquid phase, and others.
11/01/2006 MEMS is an enabling technology allowing for the development of smart products, augmenting the computational ability of microelectronics with the perception and control capabilities of microsensors and microactuators and expanding the space of possible designs and applications.
10/31/2006 October 31, 2006 - The year-end holiday season has become an even more bellwether period for the chip industry, which is increasingly tied to demand for consumer electronics. This year has seen a host of delays in rollouts for some hotly anticipated gadgets, noted an analyst for iSuppli Corp., but that doesn't necessarily mean bad news for electronics and components suppliers.
10/31/2006 October 31, 2006 - Toshiba Corp. is mulling a possible management buyout of its wafer subsidiary Toshiba Ceramics Co. Ltd., to an investment business owned 50/50 by Unison Capital Group and Carlyle Group.
10/31/2006 October 31, 2006 - Chinese flagship foundry Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) posted a net loss of $35.1 million in 3Q06 on 2.1% higher sales of $368.9 million, after posting a $2.2 million in the previous quarter.
10/31/2006 October 31, 2006 - Tegal Corp. says it has appointed company president and CEO Thomas Mika as chairman and new board director effective immediately, and Ralph Martin and Brad Mattson have resigned.
10/31/2006 The MicrobondGecko die-attach adhesive for lead-free applications bonds die-attach connections to power components without soldering to a leadframe. The adhesive series can be tested and processed in the same way as high-lead solders.
10/31/2006 The Model 4700 convertible wire bonder, with analog dials and a special transducer, performs wedge or capillary mounting. Changeover is accomplished by swinging the assembly into position for ball or wedge bonding and loading wire.
10/31/2006 The OV77230 targets security and surveillance applications. The high-sensitivity, low-power digital video graphic array (VGA) camera chip sensor produces quality digital output.
10/31/2006 Companies evaluating whether to implement environmentally friendly technologies in semiconductor fabs typically weigh the potential environmental benefits vs. the added capital costs. But at the recent ISMI symposium, Texas Instruments' Paul Westbrook revealed how the chipmaker's new 300mm RFAB in Richardson, TX proves that designing and constructing greener facilities not only can reduce harmful effects on the environment -- it can also be a powerful driver of cost savings.
10/31/2006 Idaho Space Materials, Inc., developed a manufacturing process for single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) that eliminates metal catalysts. The company believes this step will make removal of metal contaminants from SWCNTs an obsolete step, improving production efficiency on the relatively experimental material.
10/31/2006 BOC Edwards, a supplier of technology, equipment and support services to the electronics and microelectronics industries, and Aviza Technology Inc., a supplier of semiconductor equipment and process technologies, announced that they have entered into a joint development agreement to develop Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technology for advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
10/31/2006 Silicon Microstructures Inc. (SMI), a Milpitas, Calif., silicon sensor designer and manufacturer, announced it has achieved ISO/TS 16949:2002 certification for its new six-inch MEMS production line.
10/31/2006 Polychromix Inc., a Wilmington, Mass., developer of spectroscopy solutions, announced a collaboration agreement with NASA to provide Digital Transform Spectrometers tools for determining water content on the surface of the moon.
The requirement of increasing finished goods reliability has put the spotlight on four electronics assembly materials: underfills, solder thermal interface materials, solder pastes, and rework materials. Each of these supports overall finished goods reliability.
