Amid the fairly grim market forecasts and latest round of financial announcements, there is a bright spot to focus on in November: conferences. IMAPS' 41st International Symposium on Microelectronics is taking place this week in Providence, R.I., and there also are many other conferences/events later this month. You can keep up to date with it all, as well as find more packaging news, on our Packaging Technology Channel:

Sally Cole Johnson, Contributing Editor
scolejohnson@mac.com

Semiconductor Industry Can Expect 'Long, Dark Season' for OEMs
Suzanne Deffree, Managing Editor, News -- Electronic News, 10/27/2008

Bucking the usual trends, several OEMs have stated decisions not to increase production of electronic equipment for the holiday season, in anticipation of weaker demand from consumers as the global economic crisis continues. Gartner reminded in a recent report that such action causes "extreme variations in the electronic systems supply chain" -- from ODMs and EMS companies, to chip packaging and chip foundry companies -- and said that the result will be reduced Q4 orders for chip vendors. More

Replisaurus Secures Major Financing to Further Drive Clean Tech Commercialization Plans
Business Wire, 11/3/2008

Replisaurus has secured significant financing that puts the company in a strong position as it begins to commercialize its new, clean metallization technology for the chip packaging market. More

Amkor Q3 Sales Hit $720M, Up 4% From Q2
Business Wire, 10/29/2008

Amkor Technology Inc. said third quarter net sales of $720M were up 4% sequentially from the second quarter of 2008 and up 4% from the third quarter of 2007. More

STATS ChipPAC Reports Healthy Q3 Revenue Increase
Market Wire, 10/29/2008

STATS ChipPAC Ltd. announced that revenue for the third quarter of 2008 was $472.2M, an increase of 8.8% over the prior quarter. More

Tessera Reports $5.4M Loss for Q3
Business Wire, 10/30/2008

Tessera Technologies' third quarter revenue was $63.5M. More

SUSS MicroTec and STS Announce 3-D Seminars
Business Wire, 10/28/2008

SUSS MicroTec and Surface Technology Systems are hosting seminars in Asia beginning Oct. 29 to provide an overview of the developments in the field of 3-D integration and advanced packaging. More

Rohm and Haas Stockholders Favor Dow Merger
Business Wire, 10/29/2008

Rohm and Haas Co. announced that its common stockholders voted in favor of the proposed merger between Rohm and Haas and Dow Chemical. More

Sematech Acquires TSV RIE Tool From TEL
Business Wire, 10/29/2008

Sematech, in a partnership with the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany, announced that it has received a 300 mm through-silicon via (TSV) etch tool from Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL). More