MINNEAPOLIS - The SMTA seeks papers for its November International Wafer-Level Packaging Congress and Exhibition.The event takes place Nov. 3-4 in San Jose.
 
Called the IWLPC, the event focuses on leading-edge IC packaging and test technologies with  special emphasis on 3D stacked packaging.

Abstracts of 200 words should be submitted by April 1 to smta.org/iwlpc/call_for_papers.cfm or by email to Kristin Nafstad (kristin@smta.org).

 

 

The event is also sponsored by Chip Scale Review.  
 

 

TEMPE, AZ - Three-Five Systems will consolidate its U.S. electronics manufacturing and corporate functions into one location and is exploring possible contraction overseas as well, the company said today. The moves are being made to reduce overhead and excess factory capacity.

TFS, which supplies EMS services, will close its plant in Tempe early this year and move all operations to its Redmond, WA, site. The company did not indicate how many employees would be affected.

The company also said CFO Jeffrey D. Buchanan will resign to remain in Tempe. The firm named James E. Jurgens as interim chief financial officer.

The company also announced that it is exploring opportunities to consolidate its operations in Manila, Philippines. TFS is "working closely" with its principal customer in Manila while also exploring the potential sale of the factory.

TFS lost $47 million on $164 million in sales during the 12 months ended last September.

In a written statement, president and CEO Jack Saltich said, "[S]treamlining operations and driving costs to their lowest possible level are imperative to remaining competitive. While profitability will only be accomplished through a combination of revenue growth and the changes I am announcing today, these actions are a necessary step in that direction."

 

On Dec. 31, in a move that forecast TFS' announcement, the company sold the building in Tempe that housed its headquarters.

The consolidation is expected be completed during the second half of 2005. TFS currently performs low-volume EMS, prototype and medical manufacturing operations in Redmond.

 

Several U.S. sales, marketing and engineering support centers will remain intact.

Jurgens was chief financial officer at Ziatech Corp., a privately held developer of embedded computers for telecom applications, which was purchased by Intel in 2001. TFS said other commitments preclude Jurgens from taking the position on a permanent basis.

 

 

 

GREENVILLE, SC -- Kemet Corp., a leading manufacturer of tantalum and ceramic capacitors, late Wednesday said Jeffrey A. Graves resigned as chief executive and as a director. No reason was made public.

The company tabbed James P. McClintock, president and chief operating officer, and David E. Gable, vice president and chief financial officer, to handle CEO responsibilities on an interim basis.

The board is actively seeking a new CEO.

Last week the company posted wider-than-expected losses of $38.9 million amid declining revenues and inventory problems.

DALLAS, Jan. 25 -- Integrated Performance Systems, a holding company for printed circuit board manufacturers, will consolidate its operations into its Wylie, TX, plant.

The 101,000 sq. ft. Wylie plant is home to Lone Star Circuits, which IPS acquired last November in what is considered a reverse takeover.

The company said it would close its PC Dynamics manufacturing plant located in Frisco, TX. PC Dynamics is a wholly owned subsidiary of IPFS.

The firm said it has begun duplicating processes at its Wylie site and should have all of the new lines running within the next eight weeks.

OYSTER BAY, NY  -- This decade will witness an unprecedented level of growth in the electronics content of an automobile. This trend will be the result of a barrage of emerging advanced automotive safety, engine, infotainment and chassis control technologies, according to the findings of a new study from ABI Research.

Robert LaGuerra states that differing factors around the world are driving this growth for automotive-specific semiconductors. For example, in Europe and Asia, smaller engines are the norm and there is a defined need to match their performance with those of larger displacement engines. To maximize the performance of these smaller engines, advanced engine management technologies including displacement on demand, variable valve timing and direct fuel injection are being aggressively rolled out in these regions.

The same is happening in the U.S., although this is predominantly due to rising fuel costs and CAFE standards. More specifically, new government legislation mandates that automakers must implement advanced airbag safety systems and tire pressure monitoring systems into future car lines.

LaGuerra cautions, "Automotive processors are proliferating, but in some applications adding too many components that are intended to make the car more reliable, may actually reduce reliability." He adds that in some situations, the industry will actually look to simplify things using fewer, heavier-duty processors.

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 25 -- The SMTA and Auburn University are seeking papers for an upcoming workshop on electronics for harsh environments. The event takes place June 28-29, in Indianapolis.

Abstracts of 200-300 words are due to conference coordinator Kristin Nafstad (kristin@smta.org) by March 1. Written papers are not required.

SAN JOSE - Flextronics posted record GAAP net income of $98.7 million, up 361%, for its third quarter. The EMS firm also topped previous records for revenues, reporting sales of $4.3 billion, up 3% over last year.

The company recorded restructuring charges of $30.7 million during the quarter, primarily related to closures and consolidations. Excluding one-time items, net income rose 24% to $116.3 million.

The company reaffirmed previous revenue guidance of $3.8 billion to $4.2 billion for the March quarter, and $4.1 billion to $4.5 billion in the June quarter. The company told analysts that end-markets are solid.

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VANCOUVER, Jan. 24 -- Nam Tai Electronics, facing a sharp uptick in orders, will recruit over 1000 more workers this quarter for its manufacturing sites in Shenzhen. The addition will bring the total number of employees to 6,600 by the end of March.

The company has also upgraded its chip on board technology to include gold wire ball bonding for manufacturing CMOS image sensor modules at megapixel quality. CMOS image sensor modules are used 3G camera phones

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SEOUL -- LG Electronics Inc. has signed a memorandum of understanding with Nortel Networks to form a telecom equipment joint venture here.

LG Electronics will hold just under 50%, and Nortel will have 50% plus one share.

The venture, temporarily named LG-Nortel Networks, will focus on developing equipment for 3G wireless networks based on W-CDMA technology, according to press reports.

Nortel is the larger shareholder for the purposes of accounting, the companies said.

NEWARK, NY, Jan. 24 -- IEC Electronics Corp. today reported its first-quarter net income of $82,000 on sales of $6.2 million for the quarter ended Dec. 31. The company is trying to come back after losing a key account -- Motorola -- last year.

The EMS maker reported a net income of $132,000 on revenue of $6.5 million a year ago.

In a press release, Barry Gilbert, chairman and CEO, said, "Although our profit was modest, we have made substantial progress in rebuilding the Company. Last year we were trying to deal with the loss of Motorola. We needed to reduce our costs and refocus our sales activities, and will continue to do so as required. Some of the programs we have put into place are starting to take hold."

IEC began a lean-manufacturing program late last year and expects gross margins to  improve as revenue increases.

Also, Donald Doody has joined the company as vice president of operations. He was formerly with Plexus Corp.

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GREENVILLE, SC  -- Kemet Corp. today reported December quarter net sales of $95.5 million and a loss before charges of $18.6 million. The company also took $20.3 million in one-time charges for the quarter.

The company reported revenues of $111.3 million last year and $106 million last quarter.
The GAAP loss was $13.1 million a year ago and $7.5 million sequentially.

Kemet was hurt by excess inventory especially at distributors, said
CEO Dr. Jeffrey Graves, in a press statement. He said indications are
that inventory declines may continue. 

Average selling prices fell 1% during the quarter.

Surface-mount capacitors made up 82% of the company's sales for the December quarter.

By region, 43% of sales were in North America, 35% in Asia and 21% in Europe.

Nearly half -- 49% -- of sales were to distributors, 27% were to EMS customers and 24% were to OEMs.
 

SAN JOSE, Jan. 10 -- SEMI and the Semiconductor Industry Association today announced a joint study on nanotechnology applications for electronics. The study will provide definition of the rapidly-emerging global nanoelectronic markets and look at requirements and opportunities for equipment and materials suppliers.

The study, tentatively titled Global Nanoelectronics Markets and Opportunities, will be available in the third quarter. The report will be based on interviews with industry executives in China, Europe, Japan, Korea, North America, Taiwan and other regions.

"Nanosciences are a new frontier of technologic pursuit. They have numerous potential market applications in the electronics industries and represent great opportunities for those that provide the enabling materials, processes and systems to exploit them," said SEMI president and CEO Stanley Myers. "We are pleased to partner with the SIA and to leverage our combined research capabilities and industry relationships in order to provide an authoritative resource on this quickly developing field."

"The nanoelectronics era will revolutionize the semiconductor industry as we utilize new materials, new device structures and new assembly methods to extend Moore's Law," said SIA president George Scalise. "This study will provide quantified insight and in-depth analysis to help companies understand the new landscape and to focus their business and investment strategies on applications with the greatest opportunities for commercialization."

The report will identify the current and planned nanotechnology activities of semiconductor, display, storage, optoelectronic, sensor and MEMS companies. Additionally, equipment and materials process technologies, applications, requirements and opportunities will be defined.

Nanotechnology equipment and materials market size will be provided by business segment and 5,10 and15-year market forecasts will be presented based on various scenarios of new technology penetration.

The single-user cost of the study ordered prior to August 31, 2005 will be $4,000 for SEMI and SIA members and $5,000 for non-members. After August 31, the cost will be $5,000 for SEMI and SIA members and $6,500 for non-members. Multi-user license may be purchased for $12,500 for SEMI and SIA members and $15,000 for non-members.

For additional information, or to place an order for Global Nanoelectronics Markets and Opportunities, go to www.semi.org or call SEMI customer service at +1.408.943.6900.

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