SAN JOSE, CA – In 2010, worldwide silicon wafer area shipments increased 40% to 9.37 billion in² compared to 2009, says SEMI. Revenues improved 45% year-over-year to $9.7 billion.

“Given current market forecasts, we are expecting solid demand for silicon wafers in 2011, although at a much more modest post-recovery rate,” said Dr. Volker Braetsch, chairman of SEMI SMG and corporate VP of Siltronic.

Wafer shipments are considered a leading indicator for future printed circuit board and electronics assembly orders.

The data include polished silicon wafers, including virgin test wafers, epitaxial silicon wafers, and non-polished silicon wafers shipped by the wafer manufacturers to the end-users.

WASHINGTON -- The US National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration and NASA this week issued their final report absolving Toyota's vehicles of malfunctions that caused unintended acceleration.

MUNICH -- Europe’s share of the component placement equipment market ticked up last quarter, according to industry sources.

ARLINGTON, VA – Jedec will undertake an effort to standardize hybrid memory modules.

SAN JOSE – MEPTEC will sponsor its annual conference on thermal design management this March in San Jose.

The Heat is On: Performance and Cost Improvements through Thermal Management Design takes place March 21 at the Doubletree Hotel.
 
Sessions will provide in-depth discussions on challenges for various emerging applications and end markets, along with possible solutions and the resultant impact on cost and performance. This event will be part of the Electronics Thermal Week, co-sponsored by MEPTEC and SEMI-THERM.

For information, visit www.meptec.org/meptecthermal-th.html.
 

BANNOCKBURN, IL – IPC and National Physical Laboratory are sponsoring a Process Defect Clinic during the Apex trade show in April.

The clinic will feature process guru Bob Willis, who will assist show attendees with assembly and soldering process problems, RoHS compliance issues, solderability concerns, field failures and other process-related issues.

Attendees can bring board assemblies for examination or process problems, either by appointment (www.ipcapexexpo.org/my-show) or by visiting booth 217 during show hours.

Questions can be submitted in advance to processdefectclinic@ipc.org.

SCHAUMBURG, IL – Sparton Corp. today reported second-quarter fiscal 2011 net sales of $46.3 million, down 1.9% year-over-year.

Net income was $1.4 million, down 56.3% compared to the second quarter of fiscal 2010. Gross profit was $7.5 million, down 7.2% year-over-year.

EMS sales for the second quarter decreased approximately $3.8 million, compared with the same quarter last year. The company attributes this decrease primarily to certain program losses and customer design change delays.

The gross profit percentage on EMS sales increased to 7%, compared to 5% for the same quarter the previous year.

For the first six months of fiscal 2011, the firm’s net sales were $92.1 million, a drop of 3.4% compared to the same period in 2010. Net income was $5.5 million, up 18.5% year-over-year. Gross profit for the first six months was $14.6 million, down 6% year-over-year.                  

“Sales and margin contribution from our newly acquired Colorado medical facility, along with strong margins from our DSS business unit helped to carry our consolidated results, as we continue to work through softening sales within both our EMS business and our Ohio medical facility,” said Sparton president and CEO Cary Wood.

VANCOUVER, BC -- Micro tier EMS firm Northstar Electronics has begun an "aggressive" program to expand topline revenue through strategic acquisitions and organic growth.

BILLINGSTAD, NORWAY -- Top 50 EMS company Kitron reported a fourth-quarter loss before tax and discontinued operations of NOK 18.8 million (US$3.26 million), a swing from a profit of NOK 12.8 million last year.

DERRY, NH -- Sanmina-SCI will open a dedicated prototype EMS facility here, according to CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY sources.

ST. LOUIS -- Viasystems Group today reported higher fourth-quarter EMS sales on higher demand for automotive products, partially offset by softness in telecommunications.

BOSTON -- Kenneth Olsen, the Digital Equipment Corp. cofounder who famously said he couldn't imagine why a person would want a computer in their home,  died Sunday. He was 84.