The just-completed APEX 2001 conference and exhibition (January 16-18) in San Diego featured both hot and cold moments. Being an exhibitor on the second floor of San Diego's sparkling exhibition hall brought its cold moments-especially in the morning, with a record low of 34°F. The exhibition hall's upper windows and tent-like ceilings, in fact, acted as a conduit to keep us well-refrigerated in the mornings. By contrast, the exhibition itself was "hot," with many exhibitors showing their traditional upgrades in the assembly field, while, at the same time announcing new equipment (or plans for new equipment) in the explosive chip-scale, flip-chip and wafer-level assembly/packaging market. Particularly noteworthy were the exhibitors offering total solutions in the assembly areas, encompassing pick-and-place, dispensing, solder and inspection systems as a complete package. (For Editor Ron Iscoff's view of APEX, see Assembly Lines.) One assembly equipment marketing manager pointed out that even as the machinery becomes more flexible and able to handle more tasks in an integrated manner, it must also be designed so that people without a lot of training can operate it. He observed, not unkindly, that "people who were flipping burgers last year have moved up to semitechnical jobs, with most regions posting record low levels of unemployment and a skimpy available labor pool." The visitors who packed the halls on the first two exhibit days were very upbeat about business overall, and spoke glowingly about the growth they posted last year. At the same time, many people discussed their new products, which utilize solder bumping for wafer-level packaging. Most seem to agree that this is the next level of technology that will drive the packaging and interconnect markets. I grew up in the semiconductor industry, and I've been through its many up/down cycles over the past 35 years. If there's one thing I've learned as a result of this industry's cyclical nature, it's this: In a "pause" year following a dynamic growth period, such as we experienced in 2000, smart companies place their R&D efforts on new products. That way, when the next turnaround takes place, they're ready to grow with a new product launch. I left APEX with the feeling that the next great growth cycle is right around the corner, with most of today's leaders in a position to capitalize on it. Your comments are always welcome, 
Gene Selven, Publisher |
Copyright © 2001