CHINO, CA – Get ready, France! Exciting news in the tech industry as Scienscope International, the premier American supplier of cabinet-style micro-focus X-ray systems, has announced a dynamic new partnership with Seica France SARL. This means that Scienscope's complete material management products will now be available to customers throughout France thanks to Seica’s local office and Mr. Adrian Radu, who helped make this partnership possible. Seica is off to an amazing start, already making a significant impact by promoting Scienscope's cutting-edge solutions at the beginning of the year.

But that's not all! Seica France SARL is set to showcase Scienscope's innovative products, including the Smart Storage Rack, the new Incoming Material System (IMS-100), and the AXC-800 III Component Counter, at the highly anticipated Global Industrie 2023 event. This four-day extravaganza is scheduled from March 7-10, 2023, at the Eurexpo Lyon in France. So, mark your calendars and prepare to be blown away by these game-changing technologies!

Founded in 1986, Seica S.p.A. is a high-technology company specializing in developing and manufacturing leading-edge solutions for the test and selective soldering of electronic boards and modules. With deep expertise in electronics technology, industrial machines, and processes, Seica has become a global leader and supplier of test and manufacturing solutions, with thousands of systems installed on four continents.

And with Scienscope's expertise in machine vision, X-ray, and automation, they are a one-stop solution provider for warehouse automation and optical and X-ray inspection. Plus, Scienscope offers customization based on specific facility needs. ‘ This partnership between Scienscope and Seica France SARL is just the beginning of an exciting new journey in tech innovation for SMT warehouse material management. We can't wait to see what these two powerhouse companies will achieve together, ‘ said Adrian Radu, European Sales Manager.

WASHINGTON – The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today released the following statement from SIA President and CEO John Neuffer in response to the Commerce Department’s release of a Notice of Funding Opportunity, a procedural step that sets in motion the process for companies to apply for manufacturing grants under the CHIPS and Science Act (see summary fact sheet here).

“Today’s action marks an important step forward in the implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act, a landmark law that will boost U.S. semiconductor production and innovation for years to come. We are carefully reviewing the Commerce Department’s Notice of Funding Opportunity, which lays out the rules of the road for companies to apply for the CHIPS Act’s manufacturing grants.

“In anticipation of CHIPS grants, companies in the semiconductor ecosystem have announced dozens of new projects across America since the bill was introduced. These announced projects will total hundreds of billions of dollars in private investments and support hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs. The CHIPS Act’s manufacturing grants—along with the new law’s substantial investments in semiconductor research—will help reinvigorate the U.S. economy and reinforce America’s national security and critical supply chains.

“As Commerce Secretary Raimondo highlighted during her remarks at Georgetown University last week, CHIPS implementation provides an historic opportunity to ‘unite behind a shared objective … and think boldly and think big.’ We stand ready to work with Secretary Raimondo and leaders in the Commerce Department’s CHIPS Office to ensure the new law is implemented effectively, efficiently, and expeditiously.”

SOUTHLAKE, TX – Variosystems, a leading electronics services partner, is pleased to announce the appointment of Joe Hajost as the new Head of Variosystems North America, effective immediately. With over 30 years of experience in the electronics and industrial services industry, Joe has a proven track record of driving business growth by delivering exceptional customer experiences.

In his new role, Joe will be responsible for strengthening the company’s position in North America, supporting its customers with electronics services along the entire value chain, from development to industrialization, production, and life-cycle management of electronics solutions. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, Joe will lead the development and execution of the company’s go-to-market strategy in North America, with a particular focus on expanding its service portfolio and footprint to support the nearshoring initiatives of its customers.

“I am excited to be joining Variosystems and leading its operations in North America,” said Joe Hajost. “I look forward to working with the team to strengthen and expand our electronics services portfolio to offer our customers turnkey industrialization solutions that meet their evolving needs.”

Stephan Sonderegger, CEO of Variosystems: “We are delighted to welcome Joe to the team and believe his customer focus and leadership skills will help us further strengthen our position as a leading electronics services partner in North America.”

CLINTON, NY – The upcoming 19th International Conference and Exhibition on Device Packaging, hosted by IMAPS on March 13-16 in Fountain Hills, AZ, will include participation by two Indium Corporation experts. Product Manager (Semiconductor) Dean Payne will deliver a presentation on pressure copper sinter paste for die-attach in power electronics devices while Dr. Andy Mackie, Principal Engineer and Manager for Thermal Interface Materials Applications, is set to chair a special invited session.

Payne’s presentation, scheduled for 10:30–11 a.m. on Thursday, March 16, is titled “Processing and Reliability Testing of a Copper Pressure Sinter Paste for Use in High Power Module, Die- Attach Applications.” Power electronics are evolving to meet the high demands of new and emerging applications, such as e-Mobility/vehicle electrification. Pressure sintered silver is fast becoming the material of choice for die-attach due to the favorable material properties and proven reliability. This presentation will introduce a copper sinter paste that can achieve consistently high shear strengths (~40MPa) when sintered with 15–20MPa of pressure. The impact of process conditions will be examined, plus reliability testing.

In addition, Dr. Mackie has been tapped to chair a special lunch session, “Words Matter: Clarity in Terminology Around Advanced Packaging is Needed Now More Than Ever.” As the ubiquity of semiconductor chips in our daily lives has become increasingly apparent, the interconnection and protection of the semiconductor chip (IPSC, also known as “Packaging”) is also starting to enter the public consciousness. In order to enable clear communication to everyone—from layperson to senior engineer—the session will address the proliferation of sometimes confusing and overlapping terminologies (MCM, heterogeneous integration, advanced packaging, advanced assembly, and so on), how to differentiate these terms from each other, and what is necessitated for clear communications to all stakeholders.

Payne is responsible for driving profitable growth of Indium Corporation’s power semiconductor materials, which include high-Pb die-attach paste, high-temperature Pb-free solutions, and sintering materials. He has more than 13 years of experience in semiconductor/wafer fabrication. Payne holds multiple certifications from the University of Wales and Coleg Gwent in the United Kingdom, including the Level 3 National Vocational Qualification in electrical and electronic engineering, the Higher National Certificate in electrical and electronic engineering, and the Higher National Diploma in engineering.

Dr. Mackie is an electronics industry expert with a technical background in physical chemistry, surface chemistry, rheology, and semiconductor fabrication and assembly materials and processes. His professional experience covers all aspects of electronics manufacturing from wafer fabrication to semiconductor packaging and SMT/electronics assembly. In his current role, he is focused on identifying thermal material needs and trends for various high-performance applications, as well as the development and testing of innovative solutions to meet the emerging thermal interface material requirements. Dr. Mackie has been an invited international keynote speaker and has lectured internationally on subjects ranging from sub-ppb metals analysis in supercritical carbon dioxide to solder paste rheology. He holds patents in novel polymers, heterogeneous catalysis, and solder paste formulation. Dr. Mackie holds a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Nottingham, UK, and a Master’s of Science (MSc) in colloid and interface science from the University of Bristol, UK.