As summer holidays came to a close, September found our member companies ramping up new products and opening new facilities. The industry event season kicked off with SEMICON Taiwan and SEMICON India, IEEE 3DIC, MEMS & Imaging Sensors Summit, and more, and our members actively participated. Many of them were acknowledged for their achievements, and there were the usual promotions and new opportunities. Read on for the details.
Member Product and Location Announcements
ACM Research launched its Ultra C bev-p, a bevel etching tool designed for fan-out panel-level packaging (FOPLP). The tool reportedly handles both front and back bevel etching in copper-related processes, enhancing efficiency and reliability. It targets advanced semiconductor packaging with features like precise copper removal, handling large panel warpage, and a high throughput of 40 panels per hour. ACM’s innovation supports the FOPLP market, meeting demands for integration density, cost efficiency, and design flexibility in modern electronic applications.
The company has also secured orders for four wafer-level packaging tools from a U.S. customer and a research center, scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2025. Dr. David Wang, ACM’s CEO, highlighted these orders as a testament to the company’s commitment to innovation in semiconductor manufacturing and potential for future production orders.
Yield Engineering Systems (YES) signed an MoU with the government of Tamil Nadu to set up a semiconductor manufacturing facility in Coimbatore, India. YES will invest INR 150 crores over 10 years, creating 300 direct jobs and 1,200 indirect jobs. Tamil Nadu will provide infrastructure and regulatory support as part of its plan to develop Coimbatore into a semiconductor manufacturing hub.
On September 30, Onto Innovation opened its Packaging Applications Center of Excellence (PACE) in Wilmington, MA, the first U.S. facility focused on panel-level packaging (PLP) for 2.5D, 3D chiplet architectures, and AI packages. Collaborating with key industry partners like ASMPT and Lam Research, PACE aims to advance fine interconnects and glass core substrates. The center will leverage Onto’s Firefly G3 and JetStep X500 systems to accelerate technology roadmaps for AI and chiplet solutions.
Member Industry Event Participation
MRSI Mycronic, part of the Mycronic Group, exhibigted advanced assembly solutions at the 24th China International Optoelectronic Exposition (CIOE), which took place from September 11-13, 2024. The company showcased its die bonders and active aligners, designed to meet the growing demands of AI clusters that require high-accuracy optical interconnect packaging. Dr. Limin Zhou presented on AI-driven innovation in optoelectrical packaging, highlighting MRSI’s latest solutions for the AI market.
SEMICON India 2024 was held September 11-13 in Greater Noida, gathering global semiconductor leaders and experts to explore innovations in smart manufacturing, supply chain management, sustainability, and workforce development. The event featured over 250 exhibitors alongside keynote sessions from industry leaders like SEMI, NXP, and Foxconn, emphasizing India’s semiconductor growth supported by the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). Topics included advanced packaging, chip design, and smart manufacturing, with participation from companies such as AMD, Applied Materials, and KLA.
Chris Nash, Senior Sales and Business Development Manager at Indium Corporation, presented at the e-Mobility Conference during Productronica India on September 12 in Delhi. His talk, titled “Sustainable and Reliable Solder Materials for an Industry Centered Around Sustainability,” explored how innovative solder materials can reduce carbon emissions and enhance reliability in electric vehicle circuit board assemblies. Additionally, Jonas Sjoberg, Indium’s Associate Director for Global Technical Services, participated in a panel discussion on the PCB value chain.
At the IEEE 3DIC conference that took place in Sendai Japan September 25-27, NHanced Semiconductors’ President Robert Patti discussed how advanced packaging is essential for advancing Moore’s Law. He introduced the Foundry 2.0 model, focusing on integrating heterogeneous components in 3D and 2.5D devices.
The SEMI MEMS & Imaging Sensors Summit, themed “Sensor Revolution for a Connected Future,” will be held on November 14 at the International Conference Center Munich (ICM), Germany. Organized by SEMI Europe and the MEMS & Sensors Industry Group, the summit will showcase innovations in wearable health monitoring, 300mm MEMS manufacturing, and AI advancements in imaging.
Nordson Test & Inspection was a platinum sponsor of the Heterogeneous Integration Global Summit, held September 5, 2024. The company showcased its advanced inspection and metrology systems and presented on “Revolutionary Acoustic Technology for Wafer-Level Applications”.
StratEdge Corporation exhibited at European Microwave Week (EuMW) in Paris from September 24-27 and will be at the IMAPS International Symposium for Microelectronics in Everett, Massachusetts, on October 1-2. It will showcase high-performance semiconductor packages known for ultra-low losses and reliability, including applications in the Mars Rover.
Amkor shared its experience investing in the Bac Ninh province in Vietnam since opening its $1.6 billion semiconductor assembly and testing factory in October 2023. The event was held on Friday, September 27 at the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University’s downtown campus.
Member Achievements and Awards
Nhanced Semiconductors was selected for three strategic partnerships under the Microelectronics Commons initiative funded by the CHIPS and Science Act. These include the hubs at SCMC, Northwest-AI-Hub and MMEC. They will collaborate alongside world-class industry leaders and top educational institutions to develop groundbreaking advanced packaging solutions. The hubs also support workforce development to build the next generation of skilled microelectronics professionals.
Indium Corporation won the Mexico Technology Award, Presented at the SMTA Guadalajara Expo, for its Durafuse HR mixed-alloy solder paste, recognized for high reliability in automotive applications. Durafuse HR offers enhanced thermal cycling performance and superior voiding without vacuum reflow, outperforming traditional alloys. Key features include resilience to 3,000+ thermal cycles, excellent voiding, and compatibility with standard PCB finishes.
Lam Research Corp. awarded nine companies in its annual Supplier Excellence Awards for outstanding performance in key areas essential to semiconductor manufacturing. Awards included the Operational Execution Award to Celestica Electronics and Texon Co. Ltd., and the Environmental, Social, and Governance Award to TOTO Ltd. Easys s.r.o. received the Excellence in Quality Award, while CryoWest, Inc. and Venture Corporation Limited were recognized for Rapid Prototype Materials Performance. INFICON AG, TOKAI CARBON KOREA, and Times Microwave Systems, Inc. were honored for their agility in new product introductions, reflecting Lam’s commitment to ethical practices and sustainability.
Member Workforce Equality
Cadence Design Systems launched Fem.AI, a $20 million initiative aimed at advancing gender equity in AI by addressing key challenges women face in tech. These challenges include the underrepresentation of women completing STEM degrees, accessing first jobs in AI, and retaining careers in the industry. Through partnerships with nonprofits and universities, the initiative focuses on tackling “leakage points” where women are dropping out of the AI pipeline. Cadence’s efforts include grants, strategic alliances, and the inaugural Fem.AI Summit to promote industry-wide collaboration on gender equity in AI.
Member Sustainability
SEMI’s Energy Collaborative (EC) released a report analyzing Japan’s low-carbon energy (LCE) market, highlighting the challenges and necessary investments to increase LCE supply. Currently, only 27% of Japan’s electricity comes from LCE, with the rest reliant on fossil fuels. By 2030, LCE demand is expected to significantly outpace supply, creating a gap of 20-80 TWh. The report recommends policy changes such as updating land use policies, expanding offshore wind development, and improving transmission grid infrastructure. These efforts are crucial for supporting Japan’s semiconductor industry, which aims to triple production by 2030 while meeting decarbonization goals.
Member Promotions and Employment Opportunities
Brewer Science, Inc. is enhancing its leadership team to support projected growth in next-generation computing technologies, particularly in artificial intelligence and microelectronics. Ashwin Rao, Ph.D., joins as Chief Market Strategy Officer to leverage the company’s expertise for growth, while Dan Sullivan, Ph.D., is elevated to Chief Product Development Officer to focus on new product development. The changes aim to drive innovation and meet increasing industry demand, as noted by Chief Resource Officer Dan Brewer.
Yield Engineering Systems is hiring a new Process Engineer in Chandler, Arizona.
Onto Innovation is hiring a new Field Service Engineer in the Tainan Metropolitan area and a new Field Service Engineer in Wilmington, Massachusetts.
Members, don’t see your news here? We do our best to capture it all, but we need your help! Please send your monthly highlights to Avery Gerber by the last week of the month and she will make every effort to included them in her wrap-up.
