Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - White Papers

News

ARMONK, NY -- IBM's systems revenue rose 2% in the first quarter versus a year ago, providing some hope for the company's EMS suppliers.

Hardware revenue was down 7% year-over-year to $4.2 billion. Excluding printers and microelectronics, revenue was up 2% versus a year ago. Storage and System z (IBM's mainframe computing) segments were each up 10%.

CARLSBAD, CA -- Palomar Microelectronics has tripled the size of its cleanroom assembly space and increased its prototyping, applications engineering, process development, assembly, and test services capabilities.

The company, a unit of Palomar Technologies, opened 2,500 sq. f. class 100K and 500 sq. ft. class 10K cleanrooms, said to enable rapid prototyping and turnaround of advanced wire bonding, gold ball bumping, and precision component placement for semiconductor packages, high power LEDs, MEMS devices, microwave and RF components, optoelectronic packages, multichip modules, and hybrids.

“The new cleanroom space allows us to provide microelectronic services for many of the emerging technologies in areas such as MEMS, high bright LEDs, and other advanced packaging applications and to speed delivery of these services to our customers,” said Donald Beck, operations manager for Palomar Microelectronics.

STAMFORD, CT -- Worldwide semiconductor capital equipment spending will drop 19.8% to $47.5 billion this year, says Gartner Inc.

In December, the research firm forecast a 10% drop for the year.

The company blamed lower capital spending for memory chips. “Since our last update in late December, reported DRAM spending plans have declined to the point where we are now projecting a drop of almost 47% in DRAM spending and 29% in total memory in 2008,” said managing VP Klaus Rinnen. The firm expects a recovery will begin in the second half.

Global packaging and assembly equipment spending is now forecast to drop 18.1%, extending last year's 3.7% decline. Automated test equipment is expected to drop 13% this year, following last year's 14% decline. Gartner said market conditions for those segments should begin to turn up this summer.

PHILADELPHIA – Confusion over whether to conformally coat assemblies has, with the increase in Pb-free processing, become a major discussion point, especially for producers of high reliability products.

On May 17, the American Competitiveness Institute will sponsor a free, five-hour seminar on different coating materials and application methods, and will examine the issue of contamination detection and control. Other topics of discussion will include tin whiskering. This is the first in a series of free workshops covering key manufacturing issues.

Presenting will be Graham Naisbitt, who has over 30 years’ experience in coatings, as a user and in application and test equipment. He is co-chairman of the IPC Test Methods subcommittee and SIR task group, and has received multiple IPC Distinguished Committee Service awards for efforts on IPC-CC-830 IPC-HDBK-830 (conformal coating), J-STD-004 (fluxes) IPC-TM-650 2.6.3.7 (SIR), IPC-9201A (SIR Test Handbook) and 2.6.25 (CAF Testing). He also works on IEC TC91 Standards Committee.

The presentations will include explanations of conformal coatings; how to apply , inspect and assess them; new coating technologies; contamination detection and control The event is suited to engineers, design, quality and inspection staff, production and test operators and any member of staff tasked with quality control.

To attend, contact Ken Friedman at 610-362-1200 x 279 or kfriedman@aciusa.org by May 12.

ACI is a scientific research corporation dedicated to the advancement of electronics manufacturing processes and materials for the Department of Defense and industry. The company operates the US Navy’s Center of Excellence in Electronics Manufacturing and is located directly next to the Philadelphia Airport.

SALT LAKE CITY – EMS provider CirTran Corp. reported revenue of $12.4 million for 2007, up 42% year-over-year during what its president and CEO Iehab J. Hawatmeh called “an investment year.”

CirTran’s gross profit was $3.2 million, down 3% compared to 2006, as a result of higher than expected cost of sales experienced in entering the online marketplace, along with lower margins on startup marketing services, the company said.

For the year, CirTran reported a net loss of $7.2 million, up from 2006’s loss of $2.9 million, which was attributed to increases in selling, general and administrative expenses.