Amkor Technology Expands MicroLeadFrame Package Capacity Chandler, Ariz.-Amkor Technology Inc. says it is expanding its MicroLeadFrame package capacity. Amkor says it will be able to handle more than 75 million MLF units per month before the end of this year. The MLF was developed in 1996 and introduced in 1999, with production reaching one million units/week within three months of qualification. The MLF is Amkor's version of the QFN (quad, flat, no-leaded package). In traditional leadframe packages, such as the SOIC, the lead exits the package and is formed into a gullwing shape to create solderable feet for mounting onto a PWB. With QFNs, the lead is flush on the bottom of the molded package, which is soldered directly to the board. Amkor claims more than 40 percent of the QFN market. Amkor says unit shipments were 13 million in 1999, but are expected to exceed 350 million this year and 600 million next year. According to TechSearch International, the worldwide QFN market will grow from an estimated 900 million units this year to more than two billion units in 2005. "There are now more than 50 customers forecasting over 200 different MLF line items, with many more presently in design development for MLF solutions," according to Sean Crowley, Amkor's vice president of advanced leadframe products. Crowley added that "a reasonable percentage of SO packages could move to MLF format, which should significantly expand the market for MLF. [amkor.com]
Truzzi Forms First Independent Design Center in Liege, Belgium Maastricht, The Netherlands-Dr. Claudio Truzzi, former CS2 chief technology officer, has formed Europe's first independent packaging design center, with Liege, Belgium, selected as company headquarters. Convergix sa, says Dr. Truzzi, will focus on high-speed, high performance microelectronic, opto and MEMS packaging applications. "The company's charter is to provide innovative design solutions to the increasing demands placed on first-level microelectronics interconnections...," he reports. Institutional investors include FAIR and Spinventure, two local agencies. Steve Lerner, founder and CEO of GigaSys, and founder of the defunct CS2, is among the private investors. Dr. Truzzi says the design center has evolved from his consulting firm of the same name, based in the Netherlands. [convergix.nl] STATS to Test and Package Advanced Synad LAN Chipsets
In addition to assembly and test, STATS will provide customized electrical simulation service for Synad's package design, enabling Synad to verify electrical performance of the package prior to assembly. [stts.com] Fairchild Semiconductor, Philips Establish Packaging Alliance S. Portland, Maine-Fairchild Semi-conductor International and Royal Philips Electronics, Eindhoven, the Netherlands, have formed a working relationship to become a multisource supplier for small-scale logic packaging. The alliance will provide dual sourcing for Fairchild's MicroPak and Philips' DQFN (depopulated very-thin quad flatpack, no leads) formats. Fairchild's six terminal MicroPak features a footprint of 1.45mm x 1mm and is only 0.55mm in height with leadless contact pads. The pads are claimed to eliminate a potential loss of co-planarity during production and enable the package to be soldered to the PWB more efficiently. The DQFN offers a footprint of 2.5mm x 3mm in a 14-pin configuration, and is also available in 16- and 20-pin options. The format is about 75 percent smaller than the TSSOP format. Fairchild also announced that it has started construction on an 80,000 square foot manufacturing and automated warehousing facility in Suzhou, China, and has opened a packaging center in Bucheon, Korea. The Suzhou plant will manufacture a wide range of logic, discrete and analog products. In addition to products for the local market, some products will be exported to the rest of Asia, Europe and the Americas. The Bucheon center will research new packaging materials to improve thermal and mechanical performance and will also develop new assembly techniques. [fairchildsemi.com] |
Singapore-ST Assembly Services Ltd. (STATS) says Synad Technologies of the UK has selected it to test and package the Mercury 5G, an advanced dual-band chipset for the local-area network market.Copyright © 2002