STOCKHOLM – Contract manufacturer PartnerTech reported third-quarter net sales of SEK 482.1 million, up a slight 0.8% from the year-ago period.

The firm recorded an operating loss in the quarter of SEK 5.3 million, compared to income of SEK 500,000 in the same period in 2009.

NEVADA CITY, CA – In a recent New Venture Research report, the following areas of advanced IC packaging are discussed, including forecasts of units, pricing, and revenue: stacked IC packaging; through silicon vias; system in package; wafer level packages, including fan-out WLPs; staggered inner-row QFNs, and interconnection, including flip chip.

Advanced IC Packaging Technologies and Markets finds that stacked packages will grow from 2.6 billion in 2009 to 5.5 billion in 2014; SiPs will grow from 1.4 billion last year to nearly 3 billion in 2014; WLPs will grow from 6.8 billion in 2009 to 16.8 billion in 2014; fan out WLPs will expand from 2.9% of that last year to 6%; QFNs will grow from 10 billion to 22 billion in that time period, and staggered inner-row QFNs will expand from less than 1% to 6%.

Through silicon vias, while still a ways off in terms of implementation, have promise in a number of markets, including DRAMs, MPUs, PLDs, special purpose logic communications chips, CMOS image sensors, and graphics chips, says the firm. Flash is another potential market for this technology. TSVs and the market size potential are discussed in the report.

For more information, visit www.newventureresearch.com.

REDMOND, WA – Data I/O Corp. today reported third-quarter 2010 revenue of $6.6 million, up 24% year-over-year.

MARKHAM, ON -- EMS provider Artaflex hired former SMTC cofounder Paul Walker to provide consulting advice. Instead, he bought them out.

SMYRNA, GA – CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY is now accepting entries for its 2011 New Product Introduction Award for electronics assembly equipment, materials and software suppliers.

The 4th annual NPI Award recognizes the leading new products for electronics assembly during the past 12 months. Awards are selected by an independent panel of practicing industry engineers, and are presented by CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY.

The 2010 winners included Production Solutions; Aqueous; Kyzen; Assembléon; Europlacer; Data I/O; Polyonics; FCT Assembly; KIC; R&D Technical Services; DEK; Panasonic Factory Solutions; Microscan; Valor; Cobar Solder Products; Speedline Technologies; Juki; SEHO Systems; EVS International; Acculogic; Koh Young, and Henkel.

How does it work?
Entrants must submit a single registration form for each product and category entered. All entries must include a 250-word (maximum) statement describing the product in terms of its innovation, compatibility, cost-effectiveness, design, speed/throughput improvements, ease of use, and maintainability and reparability; a PDF or Word file of corresponding technical product literature and/or product specifications, and a high-resolution (266 dpi or greater) digital image (.jpg, .tif or .eps).

Email information to cdrysdale@upmediagroup.com.

The entry fee is $500 per product.

To be eligible, entries must have been introduced to market (any region) no earlier than April 1, 2010.

Evaluations will be based on the following:
• Creativity and innovation
• Compatibility with existing technology
• Cost-effectiveness
• Design
• Environmental friendliness
• Expected reliability
• Flexibility
• Expected maintainability/reparability
• Performance
• User-friendliness

Awards Ceremony
The awards ceremony will take place April 12, 2011, during the IPC Apex trade show in Las Vegas.

Categories

Equipment:
Automation tools (conveyors, feeders, etc.); bonders; cleaning equipment; component placement – high-speed; component placement – multi-function; device programming; dispensing equipment; labeling equipment; process control tools; rework and repair tools; screen/stencil printing; soldering – reflow; soldering – wave; soldering – selective; soldering – other (vapor phase, hot bar, laser, etc.); soldering – hand tools; software – process control; software – production; software – management (ERP, MRP, etc.); test and inspection – AOI; test and inspection – AXI; test and inspection – ICT

Materials:
Adhesives; cleaning materials; coatings/encapsulants; underfills; flux, and soldering materials (paste, bar, wire, core, etc.)

For more information, visit http://circuitsassembly.com/cms/npi-award.

For 2011 terms and conditions, visit http://www.circuitsassembly.com/cms/magazine/206/5891.

To register, visit https://www.regonline.com/2011_npi_award_presented_by_circuits_assembly.

The deadline for entries is Feb. 10, 2011.

CHENGDU, CHINA -- Foxconn reportedly will invest $2 billion to build an assembly plant here, according to several published reports today.

CLEVELAND – Keithley Instruments next week will broadcast a free, web-based seminar on electrical measurement of high-brightness LEDs. 

The one-hour presentation, scheduled for on Oct. 28, will provide an overview of the common electrical measurements performed on high-brightness LEDs, and how to overcome the challenges associated with those measurements.  

Topics to be covered include the effects of self-heating in LEDs and how to avoid them; how to relate forward voltage to junction temperature; the effects of noise in your forward voltage measurements, and the testing differences between DC and AC LEDs.

To register for this event, visit www.keithley.com/events/semconfs/webseminars.

NEW YORK -- With electronics assembly revenues set to rise at least 7% per year over the next four years, warranty and repair services opportunities will be abundant, a new report says.

DOWNERS GROVE, IL -- Dover reported third-quarter earnings from continuing operations were up 107% to $222.8 million.

ELKHART, IN -- CTS Corp. will nearly double its existing manufacturing site in Ayutthaya, Thailand, the company said today.

LAS VEGAS – Apple Computer cofounder Steve Wozniak will keynote the annual Apex Expo conference next April.

“Woz," a Silicon Valley icon, helped invent the PC with his design of Apple I and II, and contributed to the development of the Macintosh.

His talk, “How to Foster Creativity and Innovation in a Technical Environment,” takes place April 12 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Convention Center. He will also sign copies of his autobiography iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon.

STOCKHOLM – Note reported same-factory third-quarter sales of SEK 271.9 million ($40.8 million), up 23% year-over-year.