News
SHANGHAI – Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. of China has signed letters of intent to purchase close to $2 billion worth of semiconductor manufacturing equipment from U.S. vendors over three-year periods.
SMIC participated in the signing ceremony of contracts and agreements between U.S. and China companies at the U.S-China Hi-Tech Cooperation Forum held in San Francisco.
The company signed six LOIs outlining plans to purchase equipment from U.S. vendors, including Applied Materials, Axcelis, KLA-Tencor, Lam Research, Novellus and Varian Semiconductor.
MELAKA, MALAYSIA – Goh Seng Chong and a Singaporean group have made a $40 million bid for Cubic Electronics, a manufacturing segment of Creative Technology Ltd.
Goh, former VP and GM of Cubic Electronics, and his partner have acquired 80.1% interest and control of the company.
Cubic is the largest manufacturing facility for Creative Technology with 1.2 million sq. ft. and approximately 2,500 employees.
Acquisition reportedly should be completed by the end of May.
SINGAPORE − Advanced Interconnect Technologies, a provider of semiconductor assembly and test services, announced that it has received JEDEC approval for its QFN-style Etched Leadless Package.
AIT’s patented ELP is a Quad Pb-free staggered and inline multi-row package with metallized terminals along the edges of the bottom surface. The package is offered in two- or three-row configurations. ELP reportedly offers a small footprint, low cost and design flexibility for higher I/O count.
NEENAH, WI – Plexus Corp. said that F. Gordon Bitter will retire from his role as senior vice president and chief financial officer this year.
COLORADO SPRINGS – Photo Stencil has been awarded the Best Printing Stencil Award 2006 by the Universal SMT Lab, now known as the Advanced Process Laboratory of Unovis Solutions. Photo Stencil’s AMTX E-FAB electroformed stencil placed first in the lab’s study, with the company’s NicAlloy stencil placing second.
The lab’s 2006 study isolated the stencil printing tool to determine which stencil improves the process and decreases the number of defects. The test group included five electroform stencils and seven laser stencils supplied by four leading manufacturers.
A yield analysis program determined the yield loss as a result of open defects of BGA and uBGA packages directly attributed to the stencil. The results show that, compared to the best stencil, the increase in repair costs varies from an additional $658 for the second best, to several thousand more for poor performing stencils because of higher rework. The repair cost analysis assumes a 20,000-piece board run and a cost of $75 to repair a defective board.
WASHINGTON – At the request of Tessera Inc., the U.S. International Trade Commission has opened an investigation into patent infringement.
Tessera’s complaint centers on computer chips used in mobile phones, computers and digital cameras that allegedly infringe the company’s patents, says the ITC. Possible parties to the case include Motorola Inc., Qualcomm Inc., Spansion Inc., STMicroelectonics N.V., and ATI Technologies Inc.
MUNICH – Messe München International, co-organizer of Componex/electronicIndia, has ended its collaboration with Electronics Today. After an eight-year relationship, electronicIndia and Componex will part ways, and Messe München will be solely responsible for electronicIndia, the trade show planner has announced.
In August 2008, electronicIndia will be held at the new state-of-the-art Bangalore Exhibition Center. The annual event will present components, systems and applications for electronics and electronics manufacturing.
MELVILLE, NY – Hungary’s Orion Electronics Ltd. will become Arrow Electronics, Inc.’s third global Value-Add Center, providing product assembly and other support services for the company's North American-based OEM customers.
Electronic components from Arrow suppliers can be transported directly to Orion for product assembly for sale in European markets.
In conjunction with this agreement, Orion is already constructing a 50,000 sq.-ft. logistics center close to Budapest.
STAMFORD, CT – After reviewing the latest WSTS figures for the first quarter of 2007, Gartner Inc. believes that, with the seasonal fall in sales in the second quarter, a more pessimistic outlook for 2007 is warranted.
SHANGHAI – The Eleventh Five-Year Plan for Software Industry Development released by China's Ministry of Information Industry states that the domestic sales of the country's software companies are expected to reach $143 billion in 2010, according to Xinhua.net.
The site also reports that exports for the industry will grow 28% annually to $1.6 billion by 2010. In addition, China will have 10 to 15 major software firms with annual sales of $1.3 billion.
ARLINGTON, VA – A recent meeting between the Bush Administration and congressional Democrats on international labor and other trade issues paves the way for new trade agreements to help U.S. technology companies and workers more effectively compete in the world market, the Electronic Industries Alliance reports.
The EIA says the compromise reached should serve as a bipartisan template for an American trade policy that protects workers in future trade deals, allowing lawmakers to approve trade agreements with South Korea, Columbia, Panama and Peru.
Columbia and South Korea are important markets to the electronics industry, and this American trade policy should facilitate passage of trade agreements with these countries, as well as those negotiated with Panama and Peru, says the organization.
TORONTO – SMTC Corporation, a global ems provider, announced first-quarter revenue of $69.5 million, compared with revenue of $59.9 million last year – a 16% increase year-over-year.
Net income was $2.8 million for the first quarter of 2007, approximately three times what was reported for the same period last year.
Net income was $2.8 million for the first quarter of 2007, approximately three times what was reported for the same period last year.
Gross profit was $6.5 million, or 9.3% of revenue, compared with $6.1 million, or 10.1% of revenue for the same period in 2006.
Press Releases
- Essemtec Expands US Presence with New, Larger Demo Lab in Burlington, MA; Don Jeka Comments
- SP Manufacturing Brings World-Class EMS Expertise to MD&M East 2025; Jackson Tan Comments
- Aligned Solutions Announces Leadership Transition: Bryce Timms to Succeed Mike Young in Ohio, Kentucky, Western PA; Jim Rittma Comments
- SASinno Americas Expands Product Portfolio with Private-Labeled Purex Fume Extraction Systems; Mike Young Comments
POPULAR
- Editorial Contributions
- How Squeegee Blade Profile Helps Improve the Screen-Printing Process
- Verifying PCBA Cleanliness with Ion Chromatography
- Comparison of Aperture Designs, Solder Pastes, Nanocoatings and Print/Inspection Systems
- Systematic Troubleshooting in Electronics Assembly: A Case Study in Solder Balling and Process Optimization