Kaohsiung, Taiwan-Advanced Semiconductor Engineering has begun volume production of wafer-level CSPs, with a planned ramp to 2.4 million WLCSPs/month. The WLCSPs are based on the UltraCSP format, licensed in January from Kulicke & Soffa's Flip Chip Division, Phoenix. The UltraCSP does not employ an interposer, which ASE says reduces the cost over surface mount packages. According to ASE, the cost for a WLCSP is some 20 percent lower than that of Quad Flat No-lead packages. "The move to wafer-level CSPs is an inevitable step, since it supports our customers' desire to develop chips quickly that are smaller, faster, more powerful and lower in manufacturing costs," said J. J. Lee, ASE's vice president of R&D. Prismark, a New York state-based industry consulting firm, estimates that WLCSPs will represent 3.44 billion units in 2005. [aseus.com] Amkor Amends Credit Agreement Amkor announced that it has amended its secured credit agreement with its banks and lenders. As part of the amendment, Amkor will pay down its "Term Loan B" from $223 million to $98 million.
Chandler, Ariz.-Amkor Technology and the Flip Chip Division of Kulicke & Soffa Industries, Willow Grove, Pa., have expanded their 10-year flip-chip technology transfer agreement. The original pact granted Amkor access to the Flip Chip Division's proprietary Flex-on-Cap wafer bumping and redistribution technologies for advanced flip-chip packages. The expanded agreement provides Amkor with access to recently developed lead-free, low-alpha and ultralow-alpha alloys. [amkor.com] [kns.com] ChipPAC Gets 'Premier' Status The Chinese government has selected ChipPAC for a premier import classification, which will reduce inbound customs time. ChipPAC Guarantees 3-Week PBGA Prototypes Fremont, Calif.-ChipPAC Inc. says it will now guarantee three- week delivery on PBGA package prototypes. Under the guarantee, customers using one of the company's standard open-tool PBGA designs will receive working prototype parts within three weeks ARO or pay no engineering or assembly charges. [chippac.com] Kyocera Introduces Organic Flip-Chip Package San Diego, Calif.-Kyocera has introduced the S-HDBU (Super High-Density Build-Up) organic flip-chip package. The package employs Kyocera's new high-density core technology, "single lamination curing." This curing method employs laser vias to reduce the through via pitch in the core to 250 µm. Prototypes, according to the company, have already been produced at 220 µm pitch. The package's laser vias can be designed as stacked-through, blind or buried vias, connecting any of the core layers. Copper conductor lines and space width has been reduced to 50/50 µm for commercial production, and Kyocera says it has made prototypes with 40/40 µm lines and spaces. The S-HDBU packages are produced at Kyocera's Sendai and Kokubu plants in Kagoshima, Japan. [kyocera.com]
Munich, Germany-STATS has expanded its European sales network with the establishment of a Munich office and a new vice president. The packaging foundry named Walter Prochaska to the new post of vice-president for Europe, STATS' most senior European appointment. Prochaska joined STATS from Chartered Semiconductor. A 30-year industry veteran, he earned a BSc. degree from the University of Koblenz, Germany. Last year, STATS opened a test development center in Surrey, U.K., and a sales office in France.
STATS Will Install Agilent 93000 System STATS will install Agilent Technologies' 93000 SOC Series test system in its corporate Test Development Center, Singapore. Additionally, Agilent of Palo Alto, Calif., and STATS will cooperate on test technology, test application development, platform conversion and debugging. The 93000 is aimed at mixed-signal device testing for the communications market. STATS said it plans to "purchase and install multiple Agilent 93000 SOC systems in STATS and its subsidiaries in the near future." [statsus.com] ITC Denies Sharp's Appeal San Jose-The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has denied Sharp Corp.'s petition to review ITC's September initial finding that Sharp's face-up CSPs violate Tessera Technologies' patents for IC packaging, according to Tessera. The next step will be for the ITC to issue a final determination and an exclusion order. The order will ban the importation of the allegedly infringing products. The ITC may also prohibit Sharp from selling domestic inventories of infringing products that have already been brought into the U.S. [tessera.com] |
ASE Begins Volume Production of Wafer-Level CSPs
Amkor, Kulicke & Soffa Expand License Agreement
STATS Establishes Munich Office; Appoints Walter Prochaska VP-Europe
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