IN THE NEWS
07/01/2007
AP Welcomes Board Members
Advanced Packaging Magazine appointed Dirk Baars of Rogers Corporation (Rogers, CT) and Michael Todd, Ph.D., of the electronics group of Henkel (Irvine, CA) to its Editorial Advisory Board.
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Baars, director of advanced materials for Rogers Corp., manufacturer of advanced specialty materials for interconnect and assembly, leads a 40-person development group creating new materials for advanced packaging, microwave, and high-speed digital applications. He brings innovation and experience in emerging applications to the advisory board, with six U.S. patents, and noted materials developments including liquid crystal polymer circuit materials as an organic alternative to ceramic in high-end packaging applications. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) graduate with a B.S. and masters in chemical engineering, he emigrated from the Netherlands to the U.S. in 1963.
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Michael Todd is the director of product development at Henkel’s electronic materials business, leading developments in new materials for microelectronic packaging, such as die-attach adhesive, flip chip underfill, BGA encapsulant, wafer-applied coating materials, and other products. He holds a Ph.D. in materials science engineering from the University of California, Irvine; a masters in materials science engineering from the University of Michigan; and bachelors degrees in chemistry and materials science engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Flextronics to Acquire Solectron
SINGAPORE and MILPITAS, CA - Flextronics International Ltd. (Singapore) agreed to acquire Solectron (Milpitas), combining two of the top three global EMS providers, at a $3.6 billion purchase value. Each companies’ board of directors unanimously approved the acquisition, under which Solectron receives the right to nominate two Flextronics-approved individuals to the corporate board of directors. Flextronics has reorganized management to create an infrastructure that will absorb and leverage this new scale of operations - 200,000 employees in 35 countries - according to Mike McNamara, CEO, Flextronics. Annual revenues are expected to be more than $30 billion; Flextronics plans to eliminate $200 million in redundant costs by merging the vertical capabilities, global manufacturing capacity, and workforces of Solectron with Flextronics. Both companies perform advanced interconnect and packaging, as well as circuit designs such as FPGA-to-ASIC conversions.
Co-development Underway for MEMS Gyroscopes
LAINATE, Italy and GENEVA, Switzerland - The SAES Getters Group will integrate its PageWafer getter thin-film solution into STMicroelectronics’ next generation of multi-axial MEMS gyroscopes. The cooperation agreement will bring STM’s 8" wafers into SAES’ production line to create an inert atmosphere with wafer-to-wafer hermetically bonded MEMS devices that withstand long-term field use. Thin-film getters tend to offer pressure-distribution uniformity, while larger substrates will reduce time-to-market on the MEMS devices.
SAES Getters will support STM with technology consulting on vacuum requirements in the hermetic package design and characterization, and will provide outgassing and residual-gas analysis services.
Due to higher device sensitivity, low power consumption, small form factor, and stability, STM plans to deliver the resulting wafer-level MEMS packages to consumer applications such as mobile phones, portable media players, and gaming consoles. The gyroscopes are expected to ramp to volume production in the first half of 2008.
Shanghai Center Boosts Training, Evaluation
HANOVER, Germany and SHANGHAI, China - Viscom opened a 1,181-sq.ft. Shanghai application center for inspection system benchmarking, evaluation, and test, as well as local training conducted in Chinese and English.
As part of a global program designed to strengthen application support, the Shanghai center will serve Asian manufacturers and test facilities with support for AOI and AXI systems.
Long transportation and installation times in Asia created slow evaluation and benchmarking periods for prospective customers, said Viscom representatives. Hanover-based applications specialists trained the center’s staff to provide on-site consultation and support for Asia-based customers, bringing X-ray, CT, and other inspection-application evaluations from one per month to up to four per week.
JEDEC Approves ELP
SINGAPORE - Advanced Interconnect Technologies (AIT) received JEDEC approval for its QFN-style etched leadless package (ELP) technology. Exposed pads, for low tooling costs, and a high-volume assembly process are key to ELP adoption, supported by recognition from the standards body, said Greg Phipps, design manager, AIT.
The proprietary quad lead-free staggered and in-line multi-row package has metallized terminals along the bottom surface edges. It is said to resist distortion and deformation during die attach and wire bonding. Design flexibility enables higher I/O counts.
SUSS Names CFO
MUNICH, Germany - Michael Knopp will succeed Stephan Schulak as chief financial officer (CFO) of SUSS MicroTec AG this August. Knopp is managing director of Kemmaz GmbH, an industrial chemicals company based in Essen, Germany, and part of the Chemtrade Logistics Group (Canada). SUSS is looking toward strategic growth in the coming years, after completing a turnaround in 2006, said Winifred Suess, Ph.D., chairman of SUSS’ supervisory board.