Samsung Selects Camtek's Falcon for Wafer Inspection at Electrical Test Facility 
Camtek Ltd. has sold two Falcon wafer inspection systems to Samsung Electronics Co. The two systems were installed at Samsung's test facility in Korea during the fourth quarter of 2007, following a competitive evaluation.

Y.S. Kang, general manager of Camtek Korea, said, “Samsung's demanding quality control requires strict inspection of interconnect areas to ensure the reliability of the semiconductor device. At the same time, Samsung requires high throughput. The Falcon met these requirements by implementing an advanced automated scanning protocol that delivers the combination of acute defect detection with superb productivity.”

Printronix Announces Completion of Acquisition by Vector Capital
Printronix, Inc., a manufacturer of integrated enterprise printing solutions for the supply chain, has completed its acquisition by Pioneer Holding Corp., an entity controlled by Vector Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm. Under the terms of the $109 million transaction, Printronix stockholders are entitled to receive $16 per share.
 
Printronix common stock has ceased trading on the Nasdaq Global Market prior to the open of the market on Jan. 8 and is no longer listed.

The merger agreement was adopted at a special meeting of stockholders by the holders of a majority of Printronix’s outstanding common stock.

Stockholders who hold shares through a bank or broker will not have to take any action to have their shares converted into cash, since these conversions will be handled by the bank or broker. Stockholders who hold certificates can exchange their certificates for $16 per share in cash, without interest, through the payment agent, BNY Mellon Shareowner Services. BNY Mellon Shareowner Services will be mailing out instructions to registered stockholders regarding specific actions they will need to take to exchange their shares for the cash consideration.

Palomar Technologies Partners with Vision Manufacturing, Inc. to add PWB and SMT Services for Palomar Microelectronics
Palomar Technologies, provider of precision automation equipment, process development, and assembly services for microelectronics, has entered a partnership with Vision Manufacturing, Inc. (VMI). Through VMI, Palomar Microelectronics can offer printed wiring board (PWB) and surface mount technology (SMT) services for its customers to supplement the process development, prototyping and low volume assembly services Palomar Microelectronics provides.

Palomar Microelectronics customers can now forward their PWB drawing files. Palomar then coordinates with VMI to procure piece parts and perform SMT processes such as solder stencil, surface mount pick and place, solder reflow, cleaning and inspection.  The assembled parts are then returned to Palomar for microelectronic packaging assembly, test and shipping. Palomar also offers other services through qualified vendors such as plating, sputtering, wafer dicing and LED repackaging.

Palomar Microelectronics is Palomar Technologies’ high value-added microelectronic packaging service offered to Palomar customers throughout the world and facilitated through Palomar offices in the United States, Germany and Singapore.  This fast growing segment of the company was created by the demand for quick-turn product development, prototyping, test and assembly services. Microelectronic assembly processes include advanced wire bonding, gold ball bumping and precision component placement for semiconductor packages, high power LEDs, MEMS devices, microwave and RF components, optoelectronic packages, multichip modules and hybrids. Palomar Microelectronics helps companies speed time-to market, control costs, and reduce risks.

Kodak to Launch Powerful Charge to Stop Counterfeit Consumer Electronics
Kodak aims to pull the plug on counterfeiters exploiting the consumer electronics industry. Kodak will deploy its Kodak Traceless System for Anticounterfeiting on Kodak Li-Ion Rechargeable Digital Camera Batteries.

The worldwide consumer electronics industry is struggling to fend off the growing threat of counterfeit batteries. As consumer use of handheld electronic devices soars, demand for rechargeable batteries is growing rapidly, and so are the problems caused by counterfeiters who are inserting fakes into legitimate sales outlets everywhere.

Counterfeit batteries can lead to poor product performance, damage to electronic devices, and overheating that can create the risk of chemical leakage, burns, and even fires.

With the Traceless System in place, Kodak will be able to quickly and easily distinguish fakes from genuine Kodak Lithium-Ion batteries. The system uses forensically undetectable markers that can be placed into printed materials, product packaging or components of the actual products. The markers can only be detected using secure, handheld Kodak readers.

The system is suited for the protection of a wide range of products and packaging materials, because the markers used in the system can be mixed with various inks, toners, varnishes and other items for analog and digital printing, as well as paper pulp, plastics, powders, pigments, liquids and textiles. The system is especially suited for the electronics industry, because the covert markers can be embedded into widely used thermal transfer ribbons, a common method for printing barcode labels on electronic goods. In the booth at CES, Kodak demonstrated this unique new method for applying the TRACELESS marker to barcodes and other thermally printed labels.

New Transparent White OLED from OSRAM Opto Semiconductors Achieves High Level of Performance
OSRAM Opto Semiconductors has developed a transparent white OLED tile. Under laboratory conditions, the OLED prototype has achieved a luminous efficiency of more than 20 lm/W at a brightness of 1000 cd/m². This opens up possible applications such as partitions that are almost invisible by day and can provide a pleasant diffused light at night.

The large-scale prototype of the transparent white OLED tile with color coordinates 0.396/0.404 (CIEx/y main emissive side) lights up an area of nearly 90 cm². The OLED is transparent whether it is powered on or off, and its transparency is currently rated at 55 percent. As the product is further developed, this value is expected to reach 75 percent.
 
The performance results were achieved as part of the project known as OPAL 2008. This research effort is the initiative of the Germany Ministry for Education and Research dedicated to studying organic light emitting diodes for illumination applications.
The relative strengths of the beams in the two hemispheres of the OLED tile can be adjusted within a wide range. This means, for example, that a surface light source installed in furniture or on a canopy can be configured so that light shines only in the required direction.

Asymtek Spectrum S-920 Series Provides Scalable Dispensing Solutions for Microelectronics PackagingAsymtek, a Nordson company focused on coating, dispensing and jetting technologies, introduces the Spectrum S-920 Series of scalable dispensing platforms that adapt to the needs and requirements of high-volume microelectronics manufacturing and printed circuit board assembly such as flip chip and CSP underfill. The scalable machine design matches current and future process requirements for maximum return on investment.

The Spectrum S-920 features technologically advanced and integrated software and hardware control based on Fluidmove XP (FmXP) software with process control features. Asymtek’s new Rapid Response Heater system minimizes start-up time by ensuring quick ramp to set point and delivers uniform heat across the entire part surface with its innovative low-mass design, while Controlled Process Heat (CpH) software can be added for an even higher level of automated heat control. This translates to higher yield by preventing under- and over-heating and an improved “thermal footprint efficiency” with less power required. Programmable fluid and valve pressure for closed-loop processing, patented Mass Flow Control (MFC), Calibrated Process Jetting (CpJ) for automatic fluid weight measurement and adjustment and a digital vision system that provides high-speed fiducial image acquisition also enable increased throughput, accuracy and productivity.
 
The Spectrum S-920 Series can be configured with single or dual lanes and one, two or three heat stations depending on capacity, process control, application and footprint requirements. As process needs change, the platform can be upgraded in the field and configured to meet specific dispensing requirements, from simple dots of silver epoxy or solder paste to underfilling flip chips with extremely tight keep-out zones. The dual-lane configuration is ideal for applications with long pre-heat cycles or long flow-out times. Dispensing can be done in one lane while parts in the second lane reach temperature set point or flow-out occurs.

The Spectrum S-920 takes advantage of Asymtek’s patented non-contact jetting technology for applications such as stacked die underfill, chip scale package (CSP) underfill and UV gaskets for liquid crystal displays (LCDs). Dispensing into narrow 200 micron gaps between components, shields, or into slots can be difficult or impossible with needle dispensing because the needle might not fit, can clip and damage the die, or require needle calibration to compensate for bent needles. Asymtek jetting overcomes these limitations while offering high-speed dispensing with flow rates up to 500 mg/second and shot rates up to 200 dots/second.

The system footprint is 600 by 1321 mm (23.6 inches by 52 inches) with a single heat station, 850 by 1321mm (33.5 inches by 52 inches) for two heat stations, and 1100 mm by 1,321 mm (43.3 inches by 52 inches) for three heat stations. This slim design maximizes floor space utilization and lowers cost of ownership.

Chaotic Trading Card Game Now Available at Toys ``R'' Us Stores
The Chaotic Trading Card Game, which integrates a collectible trading card game with a unique online game experience, made its debut at Toys “R” Us stores in the US on Jan. 8. 4Kids Entertainment, Inc., the children’s entertainment company that turned the trading card-based properties Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! into worldwide sensations, and its subsidiary TC Digital Games LLC, will continue to expand distribution of this innovative trading card property at other leading specialty and mass market retailers throughout the first quarter of 2008.

The Chaotic Trading Card Game had a successful October 2007 launch at comic and hobby stores across the US and Canada and debuted at leading mall-based entertainment retailers f.y.e. and Suncoast in December 2007.

In conjunction with the expanded retail rollout, the Chaotic Online Game Experience, www.ChaoticGame.com, continues to add innovative new game play features, including “Locations”. Recently added features include three-on-three game play functionality and a Web-based “trading post” that allows users to trade their Chaotic cards online with other players. In less than two months of Beta game play on www.ChaoticGame.com, over 1,000,000 online cards have been registered and over 100,000 online challenges have been issued.

Chaotic is the first trading card property specifically designed to integrally connect trading card game play with interactive technology while being supported by an entertaining and instructive television series. Each Chaotic trading card is printed with a unique alphanumeric code that enables Chaotic players to upload their personal card collection onto the Chaotic Online Game Experience at www.ChaoticGame.com for no additional cost. During the public beta phase of the website, which launched in October 2007, players are able to upload and trade their cards, battle other players as well as take part in Web-based messaging and forum discussions.

Complementing the Chaotic Trading Card Game is the Chaotic animated TV series, which airs Saturday mornings on the 4Kids TV block on FOX stations nationwide, and daily on the Jetix block of Toon Disney and on Teletoon in Canada. The series follows the adventures of a group of teens that are fans of the Chaotic trading card and online game. Select players discover that the one-of-a-kind, alphanumeric codes on their trading cards are actually scans of real Creatures, Locations, Battlegear and “Mugic.” Using their personal passwords and their Chaotic Code Scanners, the players journey to the world of Chaotic, where they can transform into the Creature Cards they’ve collected and battle each other. Players can also travel to Perim, the land where the Creatures live, to capture scans of Creatures, Locations, Battlegear, Attacks and “Mugic.” By watching the animated series, viewers can discover battle strategies that will ultimately help them master the Chaotic Trading Card Game for both online and offline game play.

Photonics West 2008, Jan. 22-24, San Diego, Calif.

This event includes industry sessions and technical courses. It gives attendees the opportunity to meet suppliers, discover new innovations and expand their professional networks.

January

22-24 Photonics West 2008, San Diego, Calif.

28-30 3rd Annual Engineered Fine & NanoParticle Applications Conference, Orlando (Kissimmee), Fla.

30-Feb. 1 11th Annual Toner & Toner Chemicals Conference, Orlando (Kissimmee), Fla.

IntertechPira's second annual Organic Photovoltaics conference is set for April 21 – 23, 2008 in Philadelphia, PA, US.

Register in the Early Bird option and receive 10% off the regular registration fee!

Hailed as the 'first focused OPV event', this conference will provide a unique venue for industry experts, researchers, customers and investors to address the opportunities and most critical challenges for the commercialization of OPV technologies with 18 experts from the OLEDs, printed electronics and organic photovoltaics communities addressing these challenges and providing key market, technology and applications insights. 

Don’t miss this three day conference to network with industry leaders, learn about the latest technologies and strategies in OPV and prepare to succeed in this growing and competitive market!

www.intertechpira.com/alternativeenergy

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