July 1998
eMail the Editor
A salute to Industry Legends
The assembly equipment industry has always been rough and tumble. Considering how quickly customer demands and product needs change in the equipment business, it seems remarkable that a few companies not only survive for decades, but continue to prosper while assuming key international leadership roles. Let me offer two solid gold examples, ESEC SA and Kulicke & Soffa Industries. This issue's focus on chip assembly equipment, highlighting die attach and lead bonding, is also a special tribute to companies that have become industry leaders„like Kulicke & Soffa and ESEC. Part of the greatness of these industry legends is their willingness to pursue new goals, develop new technologies and react quickly to customer needs. Not surprisingly, these "oldtimers," and a few others like them, are also at the forefront in developing equipment for chip-scale packages. There are also a few industry "upstarts," that we„and the entrenched giants„will certainly be watching closely over the next few years. Speaking of legends, we're proud to present an exclusive interview with two men whose insight and willingness to take risks made them, their company and the industry great„Fred Kulicke and Albert "Buddy" Soffa. We wanted to bring you an interview with another equipment industry veteran, Karl Nicklaus, founder of ESEC, as well. But Karl's hectic schedule, darting from customer-to-customer and continent-to-continent, made the timing impossible, for now. Our expert interview for this issue is Mark DiOrio. While Mark may not have achieved legend status yet, few people today are as qualified to discuss package assembly issues. Prior to founding his own company, Mark was a vice president at Disco, a leading dicing blade supplier. A few years earlier, he helped build ESEC's well-deserved reputation for being an innovator in automated assembly equipment. You can see more of what this industry's equipment suppliers have in mind for the future during the assembly, packaging and test portion of SEMICON West, July 15-17 in San Jose. We'll be there and hope to see you, too. Look for us in booth 15112.Cordially,
Ron Iscoff
Editor