Intel Maintains Microprocessor Momentum in Q3

Intel Corp. gained market share in the worldwide microprocessor business in the third quarter of 2008, on both a sequential and a year-over-year basis, padding its lead in the industry, according to iSuppli Corp.

In the third quarter of 2008, Intel accounted for 80.4 percent of global microprocessor revenue, up 0.3 percentage points from 80.1 percent in the second quarter of 2008. The company extended this gain on the year-over-year comparison, growing its share by 1.7 percentage points from the 78.7 percent it held in the third quarter of 2007.

The picture was slightly different at rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD), with the company losing share on a year-over-year basis. In the third quarter of 2008, AMD accounted for 12.1 percent of worldwide microprocessor revenue, a decrease of 1.8 percentage points from the 13.9 percent it held in the third quarter of 2007.

However, on a sequential basis, AMD’s short-term position improved, with the company’s share rising 0.1 of a percentage point from the 12 percent it held in the second quarter.

“Intel’s growth is largely due to the strength of its product portfolio in the notebook segment,” observed Matthew Wilkins, principal analyst, compute platforms, for iSuppli. “In the third quarter, Intel achieved a double-positive, producing share growth on both a sequential and year-over basis, while main rival AMD grew in the short term only.”

Due to the sequential decrease in share of the “others” category, Intel and AMD’s share growth in the third quarter came largely at the expense of smaller suppliers. iSuppli believes the increasingly competitive environment resulting from the global financial crisis is the key reason for this.

Q3 not as bad as feared

While there were some signs that PC demand weakened in the third quarter, iSuppli’s early estimates indicate that PC shipments actually reported healthy growth over the third quarter of 2007, up in the region of 12 to 14 percent.

The notebook segment retained its strength and momentum, and continued to be a key growth driver for the PC industry in the third quarter.

iSuppli’s current PC forecast calls for unit growth of 12.5 percent in 2008.

ASE to leverage SUSS MicroTec’s litho equipment in wafer level packaging ops

By Ann Steffora Mutschler, Senior Editor -- Electronic News, 11/22/2007

Driven by market demands for faster, smarter, portable and integrated electronic products, semiconductor assembly and test services provider ASE Group said this week it will use lithography production equipment from Munich, Germany-based SUSS MicroTec including several production mask aligners and coat/bake/develop clusters for 200 mm and 300mm, in its move towards more sophisticated semiconductor applications.

The equipment is to be installed at ASE’s wafer level packaging and redistribution process facility in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

The companies reminded that wafer level packaging is an advanced packaging technology whereby the die and package are manufactured and tested on the wafer, then diced into individually packaged ICs.

D.Y. Chen, VP of advanced packaging operations at ASE Kaohsiung said as a result of its more towards more sophisticated semiconductor application, the company has to rely on production equipment that allows high yields, unmatched throughput and cost effectiveness.

Semiconductor Packaging Materials

SPM is a diverse, world class manufacturer of interconnect solutions for the microelectronics industry. SPM products are currently divided into several product groups: bonding wire and ribbon, precision metal stampings, custom alloyed strip and cladded materials, and a variety of packaging solutions including waffle pack and tape on reel solutions.

SPM's products are assembled, integrated, or bonded to assemblies and subassemblies serving the data and wireless communications, automotive electronics, medical electronics, power semiconductors, microwave and RF, Internet server and European "smart card" industries.

	Fine Gold and Aluminum wire and ribbon

SPM is a leading provider of quality fine gold, aluminum and alloyed wire. This high purity wire is sold to a diverse customer and application usage base including hybrid, medical and automotive electronic packages. SPM's special proprietary wire alloys and doping recipes, combined with its extensive wire manufacturing capabilities in the US, Morocco and Malaysia, make SPM the preferred choice for our global customers.

Stamped metal preforms

SPM's manufactures high precision metal stampings used to solder or connect electronic circuitry, package electronic circuitry, dissipate heat, or provide an interface for an electronic connection. SPM, with its well defined manufacturing process, available capacity, and global manufacturing presence is well positioned to help customers meet their worldwide requirements for precision stampings.

	Tape on Reel product

SPM has perfected a variety of standard and custom packaging including tape on reel, waffle pack, and assorted other special packaging requirements of our customer base. SPM packages its own stampings or the parts of customers and third parties to provide an "automated insertion ready" packaged product. SPM is proud of it's supplier partnerships with companies like Visteon (Ford), Motorola, and Delco. As an example of our customer focus, and our unique three pass, part-orientation detection system, we have recently surpassed one part per billion quality with Delco's tape on reel special pack requirement. Understanding the stringent cleanliness requirements of our customers, SPM operates a Class 10,000 clean room to package its tape-on-reel product line.

by: Semiconductor.net

Unisem Takes Copper Wire Bonding Process to Volume Production

Unisem plans to set up 30% of its wirebonders for copper by 2009. The industry's interest in copper wirebonding is being driven largely by copper's enhanced performance characteristics.

Sally Cole Johnson, Contributing Editor -- Semiconductor International, 10/15/2008 9:23:00 AM

Unisem Group (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) is taking its copper wire bonding technology to volume shipment, now that Integrated Device Technology (IDT, San Jose) and several other IC manufacturers have qualified the process. And in response to increasing customer demand, Unisem plans to set up 30% of its wire bonders for copper by 2009.

The industry’s shift from gold to copper wire bonding is being driven largely by the enhanced performance characteristics of copper, such as its high tensile strength, thermal conductivity, lower electrical resistance and better performance during high-temperature storage tests. IDT, for example, recognized the traction copper is gaining as an interconnect material in semiconductor packaging, and is using Unisem’s copper wire bonds in its thin shrink small outline packages. “The clear advantages of copper — better performance and higher electrical test yields — helped convince us of the strategic benefits of copper wire,” said Anne Katz, IDT’s vice president of worldwide assembly and test.

Unisem sees material advantages to using copper wire bonds.

“Copper has turned out to be a key enabler in the packaging industry from both technology and cost perspectives,” pointed out Mike McKerreghan, chief operating officer of Unisem’s Batam, Indonesia, factory. “Today, the most commonly used conductor metals in the IC industry are gold, aluminum, silver alloy and copper. Gold is the most widely used metal for IC wire bonding because of its resistance to surface corrosion and high productivity through the gold ball bonding process. However, the price of gold has risen significantly — by more than 50% during the past 18 months. The upward trend in gold base price has spurred customer interest in gold wire replacement, which helps reduce cost without diminishing conductivity, chip functionality and reliability.”

Aluminum is presently used on discrete/power devices because of its current carrying capacity. “There are two trade-offs, though,” McKerreghan explained. “First, a lower productivity of wedge bonding compared to gold ball bonding. The second is a lack of flexibility to cope with complex wire layouts such as multi-tier and long wire lengths.”

Silver alloy is more conductive than gold and uses the same ball bonding process, according to McKerreghan, but has inconsistent pressure cooker test performance. Copper is also more conductive than gold and is considerably cheaper. “It uses the same ball bonding process with the addition of a forming gas to provide an inert environment during free air ball formation,” McKerreghan said. “Copper/aluminum intermetallics have considerably slower inter-diffusion than gold/aluminum intermetallics, which prevents Kirkendall voiding, ensuring better performance during high-temperature storage tests. Heavy copper wire, ≥2.0 mils in diameter, is already widely used in the industry today for power applications. With these, copper is selected as the most suitable replacement for gold wire.”

Although wire bonding remains the dominant form of interconnect between an IC and package, McKerreghan noted that the industry is beginning to see the need for flip-chip packaging because of the increase in device complexity, as well as being another way to remove the cost of gold from the equation with bumping materials such as copper and solder.