Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are the ultimate enabling technology for integrating virtually any phenomena — motion, light, sound, radio, chemistry and computation — all on a single chip. In this month's Semiconductor Packaging cover story, Ken Gilleo traces the evolution of MEMS and MOEMS to the current day and discusses the details of different MEMS, MOEMS and bioMEMS packaging options. In the news, the latest round of financials are out and, for the most part, show a modest bump in the upward direction. You can read a few below, but remember to keep up to date by frequently visiting our Semiconductor Packaging Technology Channel:

Sally Cole Johnson, Contributing Editor
scolejohnson@mac.com

Molding Techniques Support Thin Gold Wires, Low-k Materials
Kenji Tsuda, Asia Contributing Editor — Semiconductor International, 7/21/2008

New low-pressure molding technologies developed by two Japan-based molding machine manufacturers support thinner IC packages created with package-on-package (PoP), wafer-level packaging (WLP) and transparent resin packaging. The thin packages for new cell phone designs are a market driver. More

Draper Laboratory to Establish R&D Centers in Florida
US States News, 7/28/2008

Draper Laboratory Inc. will be establishing a bioMEMS R&D center at the University of South Florida in Tampa and a multi-chip module (MCM) center in St. Petersburg. More

Amkor Reports Second Quarter 2008 Results
Business Wire, 8/5/2008

Amkor Technology Inc. reported its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2008. "Net sales decreased $9M or 1% sequentially, while overall unit shipments were down 3% compared to the first quarter of 2008," said James Kim, Amkor's chairman and CEO. "Second quarter 2008 sales reflect continued revenue growth for 3-D packaging, flip-chip and wafer-level packaging and test services. However, this growth was more than offset by reduced sales of our leadframe packaging and certain of our laminate packaging services." More

ASE Reports 2Q Revenues Up 10% YoY
PR Newswire, 8/5/2008

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) reported unaudited net revenues up 10% year-over-year and up 4% sequentially. More

STATS ChipPAC 2Q Revenues Rise 17% YoY
Market Wire, 7/29/2008

STATS ChipPAC Ltd. announced results for the second quarter of 2008. Tan Lay Koon, president and CEO, said, "Revenue for the second quarter of 2008 of $434.1M increased by 17.3% over the second quarter of 2007 and by 1.6% over the prior quarter." More

ASAT Expects Revenue Boost for July Quarter
PR Newswire, 7/31/2008

ASAT Holdings Ltd. announced financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal 2008, ended April 30, 2008. More

K&S to Acquire Orthodyne, Divest Wire Business
Business Wire, 7/31/2008

Kulicke & Soffa Industries Inc. (K&S) announced that the company has entered into definitive agreements to acquire substantially all of the assets of Orthodyne Electronics Corp., a supplier of wedge bonders, and sell the K&S wire business unit to W.C. Heraeus GmbH, a precious metals and technology group. More