Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - Current Issue

News

GLEN COVE, NY - Photocircuits Corp. has a new venture with Global Brands Manufacture Group in China. The plant, completed in 2004 in Kunshan (near Shanghai), Jiangsu Province, China, occupies approx. 70,000 sq. m. Terms of the venture were not disclosed. GBM will be investing an undisclosed amount into the new venture while Photocircuits will provide operational technical controls and systems along with marketing and sales.

Located on a 409-acre campus in the KunShan Economic and Technical Development Zone, the factory's current manufacturing capacity is 400,000 sq. ft. of imaged area per month. Three planned expansions over the next 18 months will increase capacity to 1.5 million sq. ft. per month.

Eindhoven, The Netherlands -- Assembléon formally opened its new China Competence Center (CCC) in Shanghai during Nepcon Shanghai on April 13.

The company has 70 people, including 50 service and support engineers, already working out of the Shanghai center, with the headcount set to increase even further.

New Tripoli, PA -- The $3.4 billion dry etch market achieved a record growth rate of 89% in 2004, led by Lam Research and Applied Materials, according to a report by The Information Network.

"The 89% growth rate in 2004 topped the 85% growth achieved in 2000," noted Dr. Castellano, president. "Lam Research led the market after growing 91% in 2004. Applied Materials moved ahead of TEL into second place after growing 123%."

The Dielectric Etch sector grew 101% and achieved a 58% share of the market, followed by Polysilicon Etch, which grew 87% and held 30% of the market.

The dry etch market is earmarked to drop 10.2% in 2005 to $3.1 billion.

In the $340 million dry strip market, Mattson regained its lead after growing 132% in 2004. Novellus placed second. The dry strip market is projected to drop 7.8% in 2005.