San Francisco Closes SEMICON West

Is the industry really recovering from its latest downturn — or are we being optimistic again? Whatever the case may be, this year's SEMICON West demonstrates that the exhibitors are more than ready for the upturn. There is no slowdown here — exhibition space once again is sold out for this event, considered the forum for presenting emerging technologies within the semiconductor industry.

This is the sixth consecutive year that exhibits and programs will be divided between front-end and back-end processes. The only hiccup is that the back-end program opens the event in San Jose, an intermission (the weekend) follows, and the front-end segment in San Francisco closes the show.

Wafer processing will be presented Monday, July 22 through Wednesday, July 24 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. Exhibition hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 22 and 23, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 24. Registration details can be found on SEMI's Web site (www.semi.org/semiconwest).

1. Framed by San Francisco’s two bridges, Coit Tower stands atop Telegraph Hill against a backdrop of the bay and city of Oakland. (Source: San Francisco Convention Center)

Once again, technical and business programs are being offered in addition to the exhibition (Tables). Among the presentations offered in San Francisco will be the Equipment and Materials Market Briefing from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuesday, July 23 at the Moscone Center. SEMI analysts will discuss microelectronics market trends and outlook, wafer processing equipment, assembly and packaging equipment, test equipment, packaging trends and fabrication materials. Guest speaker Sherry Garber, an authority on semiconductor memories, will outline semiconductor market trends.

Another program of interest is Forecasting Techniques for the SEM Industry, to be held 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 23 at the Moscone Center. Moshe Handelsman, founder of Advanced Forecasting Inc., will train participants to identify and predict the peaks and valleys of the silicon business cycle as well as specific products. The course reviews forecasting techniques used in the semiconductor equipment and materials industry.

Other returning favorites include the STEP programs, which include Equipment Performance Tracking Workshops, 300 mm Wafer ID Mark, and Practical Experiences with SEMI F47 Voltage Sag Immunity.

2. Moscone Convention Center will host SEMICON West 2002 and is expected to house more than 900 exhibitors. (Source: San Francisco Convention Center)

Also back this year is the ITRS Conference, to be held 8:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, July 24 at the Nikko Hotel San Francisco. Registration is only available through ITRS. The 2002 draft will be presented by each of the Technology Working Groups. Presentation sessions will be followed by an opportunity for feedback and questions. Recent updates to the ITRS including critical challenges, global technology requirements and areas for potential innovations will be discussed. A reception follows the conference.

Running concurrently with SEMICON West are SEMI International Standards Meetings, to be held Monday, July 22 through Friday, July 25 at the San Francisco Marriott Hotel. A list of topics and specific schedules can be found on the SEMI Web site and will be available at the Standards information desk at the San Francisco Marriott Hotel, as well as at the SEMI booth in the Moscone Center. Meetings are open to all at no charge and do not require pre-registration.

The SEMI Standards Members Recognition Awards will be presented Tuesday, July 23 at the San Francisco Marriott Hotel. Award categories include corporate device member, honor, merit, leadership, and technical editors appreciation. The Karel Urbanek Memorial Award, will be presented for international achievement in the Standards program.

Another event to note is the SEMICON West President's Reception, to be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 22 at the Palace Hotel San Francisco, immediately after the first day of the San Francisco exhibition. Registration is required to attend.