TORONTO – Celestica Inc. today reported fourth-quarter revenue of $1.66 billion, down 14.4% year-over-year.

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WEST LOTHIAN, UK – A partnership of private firms, public entities and UK universities have formed a foundation aimed at raising the number of industry-ready engineering graduates.

Alarmed at a 45% drop in electronic engineering degrees in the UK, the National Microelectronics Institute has established the UK Electronics Skills Foundation to encourage employers to work with schools to enlighten students on career opportunities in the field. Plans call for enlisting the help of summer schools to encourage students to study for electronics engineering degrees, and providing scholarships that connect all sizes of firms with undergraduate students.

UKESF supporters include the University of Bristol, Edinburgh, Imperial College, Southampton and Surrey. Initial funding has been provided by NMI, BIS (Department for Business Innovation and Skills), SEMTA (the Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies), ARM, Cambridge Silicon Radio, Dialog Semiconductor and Imagination Technologies. 

 

BANNOCKBURN, IL – EMS salary increases reported for 2009 averaged 1.9% for hourly and management employees, and 1.7% for salaried employees, according to IPC’s new 2008-2009 wage and salary report for the North American EMS industry.

In contrast, IPC’s previous EMS salary studies from 2002 through 2007 reported average annual increases in the range of 3% to 3.5%.

The study is based on reports from nearly 130 electronics manufacturing services companies in the US and Canada.

Benefit costs in 2008–2009 climbed to an average of 22.7% of total wages, up from 16.8% in 2007, says IPC. Average work hours remained the same from 2007, at 40 hours per week.

In addition, a declining percentage of companies, approximately 75% percent, are paying 100% of employees’ life insurance premiums.

The study’s findings reflect current economic conditions, IPC said in a press release, noting the recently ended US recession and high unemployment rates.

The report aggregates results from 129 US and Canadian EMS facilities. Mean and median wages, salaries, bonuses and commissions are reported for 31 specific positions.

Companies that participated in the study receive the report free. Other companies may purchase the report at www.ipc.org/ems-wage-salary-report.

AUSTIN – A new research report on 3D through silicon via technology says volume production will prove difficult.

With volume production comes the difficult work of addressing issues of design, thermal management, test, and assembly, TechSearch International says. These issues include installation and qualification of high-volume 300 mm production lines, assembly and test capability, the availability of TSV interposers, and reliability data.

Drivers for the adoption of TSV technology include performance and form factor. However, different needs and economic factors determine the timing of adoption in each application, according to TechSearch, whose founder, Jan Vardaman, is a CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY columnist.

Future 3D TSV applications include DRAM, processors for computing and graphics, FPGAs, as well as processor and memory stacks for wireless products.

The firm highlights in a report the major processes and materials moving into production, including via fabrication methods, via filling, wafer thinning, and bonding methods.

The report provides an update on activities of companies and research organizations. Key barriers to 3D TSV adoption are reviewed with emphasis on design, thermal, and test and assembly issues.