CHEVY CHASE, MD – A trade group study examining opportunities for UV and electron beam technologies in printed electronics applications is nearing completion.
 
An executive summary will be presented July 23 at a RadTech meeting in Chicago. RadTech is a trade association for companies interested in UV and EB technologies.
 
Among the areas studied: conductive inks; RFID; displays; lighting; batteries; photovoltaics; circuitry; memory; sensors; clothing and textiles.
 
The event is free, but advanced registration is required. Contact RadTech at uveb@radtech.org. 
 

SAN FRANCISCO – Deutsche Bank remains optimistic that PC unit growth will accelerate through year-end.
 
The firm believes current expectations of 10 to 11% unit growth will trend up toward the company’s previous estimate of 15% year-over-year growth, the result of continued strength in emerging markets, consumer and the beginning stages of a corporate PC upgrade cycle in the second half of the year. 
 
Inventory correction has been largely cleared and manufacturing trends are firming, says DB. A relatively benign PC pricing environment continues, the company adds.
 
Evidence of an accelerating PC demand trend is visible among Taiwanese manufacturers; Quanta Computer increased its forecast to 30 to 50% year-over-year growth up from 20 million units shipped last year.
 
More broadly, Asian PC demand is tracking to 10 to 12% year-over-year unit growth in the June quarter, with early indications suggesting 10 to 15% in the September quarter. 
 
Overall, demand appears normal, the firm said, with a slow and steady ramp expected into the second half of the year. 
 
Motherboard units accelerated in May to up 17% year-over-year. Notebook data have also remained strong, with Taiwan notebook units up 63% year-over-year in May, accelerating from 37% growth in April. Notebooks are expected to be up 41% in the second half of the year.
 
LCD pricing has strengthened recently, DB said. Overall LCD pricing is up 5% in May versus the first-quarter average. 
 
Notebook and desktop pricing was relatively stable this quarter, with average ASPs for notebooks down 1%.
 

SINGAPORE - Advanced Interconnect Technologies, a provider of semiconductor assembly and test services, has signed a multi-year assembly service agreement with Elmos Semiconductor, a provider of mixed signal ASICs.
 
According to the agreement, Elmos will transfer its IC assembly business and equipment in Europe to AIT’s facility in Batam, Indonesia, with an option for AIT to purchase the equipment at a later date. The transfer is expected to be completed in the next few months. No financial details were disclosed.
 
AIT’s 400,000 sq. ft. operational facility in Batam will house the full line of consigned equipment. The equipment will be used to assemble SOIC 0.300" packages of various lead counts for automotive applications.

FREMONT, CA – Dage Precision Industries has installed an XD7600 x-ray inspection system in the American Competitiveness Institute’s demonstration factory.

ACI performs electronics manufacturing research for the Department of Defense and the industry. 

Dage joins a host of companies, including Samsung and Manncorp, in supplying the factory with the latest in electronics manufacturing equipment and materials.