November - December 1999
eMail the Editor
Test Your Knowledge of the Assembly and Packaging Industry
- By Ron IscoffEditor
If you're getting a bit "long in the tooth" like me, you've probably noticed that the same people tend to remain in the chip assembly business over the decades, although their employers may change.Finally, for the trivia collectors among you, here's a chance to show how much you know about the dramatis personae in the industry with a short quiz.
If you've been around long enough, you'll immediately know the answers to every question. In that case, send them to me immediately at chipreview@aol.com. There will be a prize for the first and second place winners, and we'll publish the answers in our next issue and on the Web. (Note: Each correct answer is worth five points. A perfect score is 60, or 70 with bonus points.)
- Everybody knows that Jake Ratinoff is "the father of subcontract chip assembly." What company did he start and give us both locations?
- Before Amkor became the 800 pound gorilla, a subcontractor in Manila ruled the roost. What was its name, and the name of its founder (pictured here)?
- Before there was MEPTEC, there was MEPPE (MicroElectronics Packaging & Production Engineers). Name one of the original founders. (10 bonus points if you can name them all! Five additional bonus points for naming the tradeshow MEPPE founded!)
- This subcontract honcho left the industry for several years before returning from importing shrimp from Mexico. Who is he?
- Name the first general manager of this AMI plant in Manila, shown under construction.
- A company that made upgrade kits for K&S bonders in the Philippines, was funded by a company in the automobile business. Name the company (it still exists elsewhere) and name one of its executives (who also still exists elsewhere).
- The letter A is a popular name for subcontractors. Name 10 subs, currently in business, whose company name begins with an A and no peeking.
- Before he started his own assembly equipment firm in Europe, he worked for a competitor. Who is he?
- What retired National Semiconduc-tor plant manager in the Far East was known as "Papa" by his employees?
- Once upon a time, a legendary chip company opened an IC assembly plant on an Indian reservation. Name the company and the location of the plant.
- You don't usually think of North Africa as an ideal site for a subcontractor, but one company felt it was. Name that company. (Hint: It's also the name of its location.)
- You probably think this subcontractor is headquartered in the southwest.
Please e-mail your guesses to me by December 2 to be eligible for a prize.
The Return of Don Elam
We reported in the September/October "Assembly Lines" that industry stalwart Don Elam (who is ineligible to enter the above contest, since he knows most of the answers) had retired from Pantronix. We're happy to announce that Don has come out of retirement. He's joined Amkor Technology in the company's West Chester, Pa. Office near Philadelphia, his old stomping grounds. Contact Don at donel@amkor.com.