SAN JOSE – Worldwide sales of semiconductors grew 9.4% in May, the SIA reported today. Sales rose 0.7% sequentially, reaching $19.7 billion, on continued demands for new cellphones and other consumer electronics.

“Worldwide sales of semiconductors in May continued to reflect generally favorable worldwide economic conditions,” said SIA president George Scalise. “As consumer products drive an increasing proportion of microchip sales, the growth of the semiconductor industry more closely reflects overall economic growth."
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MIDDLETOWN, PA -- Phoenix Contact officials from Germany and the U.S. marked 25 years of U.S. operations by breaking ground for a $12 million expansion project at U.S. headquarters in Middletown.
 
The company is building a new 45,000 sq. ft. distribution center and expanding its manufacturing facility from 28,000 to 90,000 sq. ft.
The distribution center is slated for completion in 2007, and the manufacturing expansion is expected to be finished by 2008.
 

“It was an ambitious and visionary decision of my brother Gerd Eisert, the architect of the Phoenix Contact business activities abroad, to enter the North American continent 25 years ago,” said CEO Klaus Eisert. “He was convinced that this highly developed nation would be a future market for Phoenix Contact. At that time, we were competing with a small range of European DIN-rail terminal blocks on the one hand and PCB terminal blocks on the other hand. This turned out to be a success story!

 

“The market chances with the product range completed by surge voltage protection, Interface modules and automation technology have not changed today. We will do our utmost to provide for more marketability and thus for more customer satisfaction.”


Over 120 employees have been hired during the past year and a half, and the company plans to add 250 more by 2010.

 

Last year the company became a Trans-National Corporation, and the Middletown site, along with headquarters in Germany and China, became one of three Regional Business Units (RBUs). The Americas RBU is responsible for R&D and engineering of new products for all of the Americas subsidiaries.

 
Dr. Lee was named SMTA Member of Distinction in 2002, received the Soldertec Global Lead-Free Solder Award in 2003 and recently received the 2006 CPMT Exceptional Technical Achievement Award. He has also served as an SMTA board member, liaison to the Taiwan SMTA chapter, coordinator and chair of the 2005 Nepcon Shanghai technical program, and is author of two books and over 100 technical papers.
 
He has experience in the development of solders, fluxes, high-temperature polymers, encapsulates for microelectronics, underfills and adhesives. His current research interests cover advanced materials for interconnects, and packaging for electronics and optoelectronics applications, with emphasis on high performance and low-cost ownership.

RENTON, WA – Microscan is offering a free downloadable series of educational tutorials on Data Matrix symbol verification. Designed for any manufacturer who marks parts with Data Matrix, the series covers the major industry verification standards involved in determining symbol quality. They also provide information on quality parameters and how they affect the symbol grading process.