Willow Grove, PA - Albert Soffa, co-founder of Kulicke & Soffa Industries and pioneer of the first wire bonder, died on Sunday.  He was 84.
 
An engineering maverick who helped shape today's modern IC packaging industry, Soffa formed a partnership with Frederick W. Kulicke, Jr. in 1951, which eventually became Kulicke & Soffa Industries.
 
"Al Soffa was one of the true pioneers in the development of modern semiconductor equipment," noted K& S chairman and CEO Scott Kulicke. "Through his innovation with my father, they introduced the first manual and automatic wire bonders, which opened the doors to the manufacture of more advanced IC technology."
 

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According to estimates by leading players and ITIS research, local Taiwanese PCB makers will suffer a slight margin drop from last year's 13.6% amid tight supply of materials, such as polyimide and glass yarn, and weak demand. 

Constrained by weak demand and less working days in February, industry players hinted flexible PCB demand bottomed out in Feb and orders started picking up from March. Industry players expect April orders to grow 20-40% from March orders, DigiTimes said.

 

IRVING, TX — EMS provider Elcoteq Network Corp. has opened a new plant in Bangalore, India, and will manufacture telecommunications equipment there. The facility will employ approx. 1,000 people and manufacture products, including mobile phones and communications network equipment, for global customers operating in India and the Asia-Pacific.

"With a population of over one billion people, mobile-phone penetration of a mere 3% and a telecom services market growing at over 100% annually, India represents one of the most exciting regions for handset OEMs and EMS providers," said president and CEO Jouni Hartikainen. "Given the huge opportunity, cost advantages, availability of highly skilled manpower, infrastructure and software development facilities, proximity of key suppliers and the government's agenda for telecommunications and electronics manufacturing, we find this an extremely attractive location."

"This inauguration is more than the launch of a manufacturing facility. It is about revolutionizing the EMS sector in India and tapping the vast opportunities it offers. The telecommunications sector in India has surpassed all forecasts," added chairman Antii Piippo.

 

 

ARLINGTON, VA - After bouncing back in February from the annual January dip, electronic component orders took a slight downturn in March, according to the monthly order index compiled by the Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA).

 

 

"Many manufacturers believed that this year's first quarter would be a repeat of the strong growth in Q1 2004," said Bob Willis, ECA president. "Depending on what happens with end markets, the fluctuations might continue into the second quarter." 

 

In addition to general industry caution, Willis sites factors such as the rising price of wholesale oil, trade imbalance and the federal deficit having a dampening effect on the market.

 

 

The ECA represents manufacturers and producers of passive and active electronic components, component arrays and assemblies, and materials and support services. It is a sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) that reportedly represents 80% of the U.S. electronics industry.