Amkor Technology Adds to Prototype Lab, Installs Laser Pro
Chandler, Ariz.-Amkor Technol-ogy Inc. has added equipment from several manufacturers to its Advanced Package Development Center. The prototype lab opened in 1999 to help U.S.-based chip makers with local development of advanced packages. Amkor says it has one of the first laser solder ball attach systems, a Kulicke & Soffa Laser Pro. The company also reported record Q3 results for the quarter ended September 30 of $649 million in total revenues. This represents an increase of $147 million, or 29%, over the comparable 1999 quarter. Some $100 million represents wafer fab earnings, while $549 million is from assembly and test. Net income before amortizing goodwill and acquired intangibles was $73 million, or $0.46/share, for Q3. [amkor.com]
ASAT Expands to Singapore
Fremont, Calif.-ASAT Ltd. has named Douglas Tam, formerly with ASAT Ltd.'s Hong Kong operations, to head its newly opened sales and support office in Singapore. The Singapore office is located at 175A Bencoolen St., #10-12, Burlington Square, Singapore 189650, phone +65.238.0188. Hong Kong Test Center Opens ASAT also recently opened a 130,000 square foot Test Center in Hong Kong, near ASAT's main production facility. The Test Center building now houses the company's testing department and frees up 42,000 square feet in the former test area for expansion of assembly operations in the existing facility. [asat.com] AIT Posts On-Line Info Center Pleasanton, Calif.-Advanced Inter-connect Technologies (the merger of Hana Semiconductor's Hong Kong operations and AMT) has activated a new web site at aitsales.com. The site is composed of five main categories: company information, products & technologies, quality, services and a customer center. Walsh Joins CS2 as Ops VP Zaventern, Belgium-Edmond P. Walsh, formerly vice president of manufacturing at International Microcircuits Inc. has joined CS2 as vice president of operations and general manager, reporting to President Steve Lerner. Earlier, Walsh spent 28 years as an IBM executive in various manufacturing support posts. [cs2.be]
Meicer Opens California Office Fremont, Calif.-Meicer Semicon-ductor, a three-year-old Taiwan-based IC assembler, specializing in packaging wireless devices, has opened its first U.S. office. The sales, marketing and customer support facility, headed by Christina Wang, administrative manager, includes a 6,000 square foot lab. The office is located at 48006 Fremont Blvd., Fremont, CA 94538, phone 510.657.6378. Founded in Taipei in 1997, Meicer added an adjacent nine-story building with even a class 100 cleanroom to its existing two-story building in Jung Li Industrial Park last March. Being only three years in the packaging business, Meicer is currently offering volume production for customers, which include IBM and RF Micro Devices. Interviewed during a recent visit to the new Fremont office, Dr. William Ray Yueh, president, said the company "plans to be a leader in high-volume CSPs." Current capacity for wireless device assembly is 60 million units/month with an additional 5 million unit capacity for high-performance, low-cost Zinger 4.0 µBGA assembly, he noted. About 55% of Meicer's customers are from Asia and 45% are from the U.S. Opening a U.S. office, said Dr. Yueh, is the first step in enlarging Meicer's U.S. customer base. [meicer.com.tw] SPIL Reports Record Income Taichung, Taiwan-Siliconware Precision Industries Co. Ltd. (SPIL) reported record sales for its third quarter ended September 30 of NT$5,172 million and net income of NT$860 million. The figures represent a net sales and net income increase over the same period in 1999 of 72.7% and 181%, respectively. On a year-to-year comparison, the company's net sales and net income for the nine months ended September 30 increased by 73.6% and 114.5%, respectively. [spil.com.tw]
STATS Gets the Lead Out Singapore-STATS has selected a pure tin solder as the lead-free replacement for leadframe-based packages. The assembler said it began researching lead-free alternatives in early 1999. STATS' research focused on alternative finishes for compounds, as well as the reliability performance of molding compounds that do not contain Br and Sb-flame retardants that can impact the environment.
STATS evaluated the performance of a pure Sn solder finish against other lead-free finishes, comparing results across package sizes, lead pitches and alternative materials. Newer pure tin electroplating chemicals, designed to inhibit whisker growth on the finish, have enabled pure tin to become a strong choice to replace Sn-Pb finishes, the company noted. STATS Develops Test Handler The company has also developed a strip handler for use in testing ICs. The technology is aimed at reducing test cost and producing greater efficiency by eliminating a transfer medium, like trays or tubes, employed in standard handlers. The STATS process tests devices in tape-mounted strips prior to singulation. The quantity of ICs tested simultaneously can range from dozens to hundreds on a single strip. Standard test handlers offer a maximum of 4-8 test sites. [statsus.com] |
