Chandler, Ariz.-Amkor Technology Inc. says it is expanding its VisionPak CMOS image sensor assembly capabilities and expected to produce more than four million units through the end of 2002. Amkor said its 2002 production represents 13 percent of the total CMOS image sensor market and 22 percent of the outsourced market, making it the largest outsourced supplier outside of Japan. The VisionPak assembly is performed at an Amkor facility in Taiwan. Amkor packages the CMOS image sensors in a ceramic leadless chip carrier, which is a cavity-style package, and in a module. Both formats are termed "VisionPak." The CLCC typically houses a single chip, but can be adapted for multi-chip packaging. The VisionPak camera module typically consists of multiple components, including CMOS image sensor die, passives, infrared filter glass, lens mount and lens barrel. Sometimes a separate driver IC is also included. Amkor said it would produce more than 300,000 of the camera modules in 2002. Industry research firm In-Stat estimates that the market for CMOS image sensors will increase rapidly from 19 million units in 2001 to 35 million units last year and to more than 140 million units in 2005. Amkor estimates that some 60 percent of CMOS image sensor packaging is outsourced. [amkor.com]
Singapore-United Test and Assembly Center Ltd. (UTAC) says it has introduced Southeast Asia's first 300mm laser semiconductor processing equipment for its assembly and test facility. The unit, produced by Electro Scientific Industries of Portland, Ore., is said to "substantially increase production yields during wafer sorting." UTAC says it has been sorting 300mm wafers since October 2002 for an undisclosed Asian wafer foundry. The sorting, according to Lee Hoong Leong, UTAC vice president of operations, "strategically positions us as an important test service partner to wafer foundries." Lee said UTAC plans to expand its partnerships by offering complete turnkey assembly and test on a wide range of processed 300mm wafers. [utac.com.sg]
Singapore-ST Assembly Test Services (STATS) says Aura Communications Inc. has selected it to provide turnkey test development, assembly and final test for LibertyLink, a low-power/low-cost system-on-chip package. LibertyLink is a mixed signal programmable SoC for wireless communication of audio, voice and streaming data. Aura will initially employ STATS' Low Profile QFP for its package design. [stats.st.com] ChipPAC Takes Wire Bonding Technology into High I/O Area Fremont, Calif.-ChipPAC Inc. has introduced three-row staggered wire bonding at 20µm effective pitch. The company claims this is an industry first for greater than 1200 I/O pad-limited IC applications. ChipPAC says its technology extends the use of wire bonding to a wider range of applications than formerly available, including high I/O pad-limited graphics and ASICs. These ICs can now be wire-bonded onto BGAs rather than more expensive flip chips. The ChipPAC technology connects three rows of 60µm pitch wire bond pads on a die to five rows of bond fingers/rings on the package substrate employing up to seven loop heights. ChipPAC says in addition to a lower- cost package, its fine-pitch wire-bonded BGAs eliminate the added costs of redistribution and wafer bumping, while shortening cycle time. [chippac.com] MEPTEC Symposium Examines RF Sunnyvale, Calif.-MEPTEC will pre-sent a one-day technical symposium entitled "Packaging, Assembly and Testing in Radio Frequency Technology" on February 20 at the Four Points Sheraton, Sunnyvale. [mepteconline.com] |
Amkor Expands VisionPak Image Sensor Manufacturing
UTAC Intros S.E. Asia's First 300mm Laser Processing Gear
Aura Communications Selects STATS for Test and AssemblyCopyright © 2003