Leading chipmakers in recent years spent tens of billions of dollars on advanced-chip-packaging facilities-to prepare for building processors in multi-chiplet packages that will offer consistent performance increases and ensure continuity of Moore's law.

SK Hynix has divided its procurement team for the first time, a move meant to strengthen the purchasing of components and equipment used in the back end of chip production.

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) has announced that its Chung Li, Taiwan facility has received the ISO 26262 certification from TUV NORD, a technical service provider that helps companies to validate the safety of products and services.

Goldman estimates TSMC's Apple InFO business would take away only 2% of ASE's sales.

Slowing smartphone and tablet demand growth and declining PC sales in the next 12 months are likely to drive further consolidation in the highly fragmented USD25bn IC outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) industry, Fitch Ratings says.

A strategic tie-up with Hon Hai could help SPIL land some Apple business.

STATS ChipPAC and Chinese firm Jiangsu Changjiang Electronics Technology (JCET) have extended talks on a proposed takeover for a second time.

The deal aims at building a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship between Renesas and J-Devices as strategic partners in the semiconductor production business. The two companies intend to complete the transfer on June 1, 2013.

"Solid demand for wireless communications in both packaging and test was the key driver of our business in the third quarter," said Ken Joyce, Amkor's president and CEO. "Lower-than-anticipated supply of 28nm wafers in the early part of the quarter and the overall weakness in the semiconductor market and general economy constrained our growth."

The QFN package design kit enhances package modeling and simulation accuracy with Agilent's ADS electronic design automation (EDA) software for radio frequency (RF), microwave and high-speed digital applications for RF semiconductors.

The objective of the agreement is for Fujitsu Semiconductor and J-Devices to build a long-term, mutually beneficial strategic partnership in the semiconductor manufacturing business.

The new factory and R&D center will focus on the design, development and full scale production of innovative semiconductor packaging and test services for the world's leading semiconductor and electronic manufacturing companies, the company said.

Toshiba has announced that it will rebuild its semiconductor manufacturing operations in Thailand by relocating Toshiba Semiconductor Thailand to a new manufacturing facility.

Amkor Technology has announced that its innovative through mold via (TMV) package-on-package (PoP) solutions have surpassed 100 million units shipped.

Elpida Memory has announced that it reached an agreement with Walton Advanced Engineering in which Walton will purchase from Elpida 7,500 preferred shares in Elpida subsidiary EBS. The value of the share purchase is estimated at JPY 3.75 billion (US$50 million).

Toshiba and Amkor Technology have announced that they have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding for the acquisition by Amkor of Toshiba Electronics Malaysia, Toshiba's semiconductor assembly operation in Malaysia, together with a license to Amkor for certain related intellectual property rights.

Verigy, an Advantest Group company, has announced that the company has reached a major milestone with the installation of its 2,500th V93000 system-on-chip (SoC) test platform. The milestone shipment is part of a multi-system order from Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE).

3M has announced the opening of the company's application laboratory in Yangmei, Taiwan, for 200mm and 300mm temporary wafer bonding. The addition expands 3M's existing wafer support applications labs in Japan and the US to meet customer demand.

Amkor's rise in revenues wasn't enough to offset an increase in expenses, and would have been higher had the company not taken a hit from the Japan disaster. Amkor operates a 211,000-square foot factory in Japan, one of the company's smallest facilities, according to regulatory filings.

The move leaves some to wonder if the silicon foundry giant is gradually moving into the IC-packaging world, thereby competing against Amkor, ASE and other subcontractors. Rick Cassidy, president of TSMC North America, said TSMC remains focused on the foundry market. But "lines are blurring" between some parts of the wafer manufacturing and packaging processes, Cassidy said.

Shares of Tessera Technologies, which owns and makes money licensing numerous patents for combing computer chips together, are up 7% at US$22.09 after an appeals court ruled in favor of the company in its suit against Qualcomm, Spansion and STMicroelectronics.

STATS ChipPAC announced it has shipped over 100 million semiconductor packages with copper wire bond interconnect, and expects copper wire bond production volume to grow another 75% by the end of 2010 due to a rapidly growing customer base.

Intel has announced the opening of a massive US$1 billion chip testing and assembly facility in Vietnam. The factory has a total area of 46,000 square meters.

Singapore-based chip packager STATS ChipPAC has posted revenues of US$432.2 million in the third quarter of 2010, down by marginal 0.7% sequentially but up 10.9% on year. "We expect net revenues in the fourth quarter of 2010 to decline by single-digit level from prior quarter..."

"We have put on hold the purchase of copper wire bonders," said Byron Chiang, spokesperson for Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL), on the phone. "Orders are not coming along as strong as we originally thought."

Rudolph Technologies has received an order for its multiple PrecisionWoRx VX4 probe card test and analysis systems from a customer in Taiwan to facilitate capacity expansion.

STATS ChipPAC also indicated it is actively developing next-generation eWLB technology to enable larger package sizes, higher I/O density and 3D PoP solutions to address a wider application market.

Net income for the second quarter of 2010 was US$37.3 million, compared to US$2.2 million a year ago. Revenues grew by 35.7% to US$435.3 million.

Amkor has posted profits of US$0.18 a share on revenues of US$646 million in the first quarter. The Street had been expecting US$0.20 and US$644.2 million. Amkor expects second-quarter revenues to be US$710-736 million, and profits of US$0.22-0.27 per share.

Tessera Technologies has signed an updated technology licensing agreement with United Test and Assembly Center (UTAC), which provides test and assembly services for a wide range of semiconductor devices. The initial term of the updated license agreement runs through the end of 2016.

Answer: Yes and no.

Tessera Technologies, which licenses miniaturization technology for electronic devices, has said its fourth-quarter revenues were going to fall below its previous guidance due to lower royalties.

The Portuguese DRAM test and assembly operation subsidiary of insolvent Qimonda has been offered a financial life line and is taking on a new name, according to local reports.

With the forecast for packaging improving in 2010, business strategy is shifting toward more partnerships and joint ventures. And the focus on through-silicon vias (TSVs) is rapidly accelerating and may result in even more partnerships and joint ventures between foundries and packaging houses.

Renesas Technology has reached a preliminary agreement to transfer its semiconductor manufacturing equipment business to Hitachi High-Technologies.

Amkor Technology has reported net sales of US$616 million for the third quarter, up 22% sequentially but down 14% on year. Net income for the quarter reached US$81 million, compared to US$9 million in the prior quarter and US$29 million a year ago.