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Monthly Archives: October 2016

CSP Market Forecast – Strong

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Chip-Scale Packages (CSP) continue to be in strong demand for IC needing the smallest form-factors for applications including automotive, industrial applications to mobile phones and wearable electronics, according to leading market research firm TechSearch International. TechSearch’s latest CSP market forecast shows a 8% CAGR from 2015 to 2020, despite a slowing growth rate for smartphones.

One of the categories with the strongest growth is the quad flat no-lead (QFN) package with a CAGR of 8.6%. QFNs are a low-cost, low-profile package found in a wide range of products from automotive and power devices. An analysis of the Out-Sourced Assembly and Test (OSAT) market in China provides insight into expansion plans and market shares.

Fan-Out Wafer-Level Packages (FO-WLP) with many variations are now winning slots in many new mobile devices. New advanced packages such as JCAP’s FO-WLP are highlighted in the latest Advanced Packaging Update, along with the use of TSMC’s FO-WLP for Apple’s A10 application processor. The report also examines trends in stacked die CSPs, laminate-substrate CSPs, and package-on-package (PoP) with a market forecast for each. See:  http//www.techsearchinc.com.

—E.K.

Dan Rose departs material realm

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Daniel J. Rose, Ph.D. November 7, 1937 – September 20, 2016

Daniel J. Rose, Ph.D.
November 7, 1937 – September 20, 2016

With sadness I post that Daniel J. Rose, Ph.D.—founder of Rose Associates—passed away on September 20, 2016, due to complications of Alzheimer’s disease. Dan Rose received a Ph.D. in materials engineering from the University of British Columbia, and subsequently spent five years managing packaging manufacturing operations at Fairchild Semiconductor. He worked with and become friends with industry luminaries such as Intel’s founder Robert Noyce, and National Semiconductor’s founder Charlie Sporck.

In February of 1970, he founded Rose Associates, which initially provided engineering and manufacturing support to the semiconductor industry, establishing factories in the US and assembly plants in the Far East. In 1977, Rose Associates began conducting market research in electronic materials. In January of 1985, Rose Associates began publishing the Electronic Materials Report (EMR) monthly newsletter, and In 1986 held its first annual Electronic Materials Conference.

Dan Tracy, Ph.D.— SEMI Senior Director, Industry Research & Statistics—was one of Rose’s associates who joined the trade organization in 2000 when it acquired Rose Associates’ business. Tracy wrote a wonderfully heartfelt remembrance as a LinkedIn Pulse article (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dr-daniel-j-rose-phd-dan-tracy?trk=hb_ntf_MEGAPHONE_ARTICLE_POST).

—E.K.