Apple has updated its Mac mini with the latest technologies and a new lower starting price. The Mac mini now features Intel's fourth-generation Core processors, integrated graphics, 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Thunderbolt 2.The new Mac mini delivers new levels of graphics performance, expandability and connectivity. New integrated Intel HD Graphics 5000 and Intel Iris graphics deliver up to 90% faster graphics performance than the previous generation. The Mac mini now includes two Thunderbolt 2 ports, each delivering up to 20Gbps of bandwidth to each port, as well as next-generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi that is up to three times faster when connected to an 802.11ac base station, said Apple.The Mac mini comes in three standard models: a 1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 2.7GHz, 4GB of memory, Intel HD Graphics 5000 and a 500GB hard drive starting at a suggested retail price of US$499; a 2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1GHz, 8GB of memory, Intel Iris graphics and a 1TB hard drive starting at suggested retail price of US$699; and a 2.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.3GHz, 8GB of memory, Intel Iris graphics and a 1TB Fusion Drive starting at a suggested retail price of US$999.Customers can choose to configure their Mac mini with up to a 3.0GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor, up to 16GB of memory, and up to a 1TB PCIe-based flash drive.Apple Mac mini desktopPhoto: Company

Apple has introduced the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3. The iPad Air 2, which is 6.1mm thin, and the iPad mini 3 both offer Touch ID.Apple said the iPad Air 2 comes with an improved Retina display featuring a fully-laminated design and its custom-designed anti-reflective coating reduces glare by 56%.The iPad Air 2 is powered by the new A8X chip, which Apple said delivers a 40% improvement in CPU performance and 2.5 times the graphics performance of the iPad Air, and still delivers an up to 10-hour battery life. It is equipped with Metal, the new graphics technology in iOS 8. The iPad Air 2 also includes the M8 motion coprocessor that gathers motion data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, compass and a new barometer which senses air pressure to provide relative elevation.The iPad Air 2 comes with an 8-megapixel sensor and advanced optics in the iSight camera to help capture high quality photos and videos. The FaceTime HD camera now captures over 80% more light than iPad Air's camera, and features burst mode as well as HDR stills and video.The iPad Air 2 delivers connectivity with 802.11ac Wi-Fi with Multiple-In-Multiple-Out (MIMO) technology for 2.8 times the Wi-Fi performance of iPad Air at data rates up to 866Mbps. The iPad Air 2 with Wi-Fi + Cellular integrates even more LTE bands and comes with expanded LTE for up to 50% faster cellular connections, plus support for other fast cellular technology around the world (DC-HSDPA, HSPA+).Touch ID can be used as a way to approve purchases from the App Store, iTunes Store or iBooks Store, and with Apple Pay, when paying for physical goods and services within apps.The new iPads come with iOS 8.1 including Continuity features across iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite that enable a user's Apple products to work together. Handoff lets users start an activity on one device and pass it to another, and when a user's iPhone is on the same Wi-Fi network, he/she can make and receive phone calls from his/her iPad.The iPad mini line has been updated to include the iPad mini 3 with Touch ID and the iPad mini with Retina display, now called the iPad mini 2 and starting at just US$299. Both iPads feature a Retina display, A7 chip, 5-megapixel iSight camera and FaceTime HD camera. The iPad mini is also available starting at US$249.The iPad Air 2 with Wi-Fi models will be available for a suggested retail price of US$499 for the 16GB model, US$599 for the 64GB model and US$699 for the 128GB model. The iPad Air 2 with Wi-Fi + Cellular models will be available for a suggested retail price of US$629 for the 16GB model, US$729 for the 64GB model and US$829 for the 128GB model. The iPad mini 3 with Wi-Fi models will be available for a suggested retail price of US$399 for the 16GB model, US$499 for the 64GB model and US$599 for the 128GB model. The iPad mini 3 with Wi-Fi + Cellular models will be available for a suggested retail price of US$529 for the 16GB model, US$629 for the 64GB model and US$729 for the 128GB model.The iPad Air starts at US$399 for the 16GB with Wi-Fi model, the iPad mini 2 starts at US$299 for the 16GB with Wi-Fi model, and the iPad mini starts at US$249 (US) for the 16GB with Wi-Fi model.Apple iPad Air 2 (left) and iPad mini 3 (right) tabletsPhoto: Company

With patented heart spectrum blood pressure monitoring technologies as its core, OSTAR Meditech Corp. has successfully developed a "Smart Cloud Vital Sign Monitoring System", which is adopted by local hospitals and shows significant nursing efficiency improvement. Next, the company will further cooperate with fitness equipment makers to develop wearables, in an effort to drive the widespread use of smart medical devices.Unique Heart Spectrum Monitoring Technology"Preventing myocardial infarction is the ultimate goal of our company", Dr. Steven Chang, CTO of OSTAR, said. Chang was a military technology expert before, but decides to apply hi-tech in developing medical instruments to save more lives.He explained that the company's patented heart spectrum monitoring technology is to directly calculate the heart blood vessel pressure change (not statistics model), and get the important information of the systolic pressure, the diastolic pressure, the pulse, and so on. Also, it can calculate the patient's heart noise using digital signal processor to analyze the frequency of heart zone, the valve zone, and cardiovascular zone."Traditional sphygmomanometer can't find out the changes of blood pressure and heart spectrum clearly. With our product, users can monitor the frequency changes of hearts, in a way to take actions to prevent myocardial infarction or hear attack from taking place", he emphasized.Another unique feature of OSTAR's blood pressure monitor is its self-calibration function. By using special algorithm, the product can guarantees its accuracy throughout its lifecycle, so that users can make measurements at home with a peace of mind.With these unique patented technologies, OSTAR's heart spectrum blood pressure monitors have been accepted by major hospitals in Taiwan and have won many awards in the past years, including National Business Award, International Medical Care Innovation Award, Good Products Designs Prize, Innovation Research Prize, and the latest Invention Award in Japan.Smart Vital Sign Monitor SystemPopulation aging and the shortage of nursing staff are two of major challenges for health institutes all over the world. Aiming to solve this problem, OSTAR has developed a cloud vital sing monitor system, A3, to help improve nursing efficiency."A3 is an integrated and automated monitor system for nursing staff", Chang introduced. "With embedded heart spectrum blood pressure monitoring card, we designed A3 by adding more other functions, including wireless transmission, barcode scanner, database system, as well as vital signs measurement and recording capabilities for blood pressure, blood oxygen, body temperature, respiration rate, uric glucose, blood glucose, and pain degree.""Nurses can use this system to scan patent's barcode first, and then take vital signs measurement. All the data will be transmitted to the hospital's database or cloud system automatically."A3 has been adopted by Taipei Medical University Hospital for one year, and it is proved that, by eliminating the manual labor, the nursing data collection efficiency is improved by more than 30%. Meanwhile, it can help improve data accuracy for reliable patient care and reduce hospital expense by creating a paperless environment.In order to make sure that all the data is transferred accurately, OSTAR has developed a patent of "confirmed transmission of data" to provide 100% reliability of the system.A3 is not only a perfect solution for smart wards, but also is suitable to be used in long-term healthcare centers to address the issues of care quality and staff shortage.The Future Trend of Smart MedicalChang claimed that OSTAR is the first and the only company that develops a smart monitor system like this."With our core heart spectrum blood pressure technology, we integrate other key components to make it a system that can really solve nursing staff's problems, and is also featured with friendly user interface", he said.With years of R&D experiences, Chang emphasized that the company has in-house design and development capabilities, and has secured 27 patents for the smart system."I am sure that we are at the forefront of the market, and has successfully built up a patent barrier to against competitions", Chang said. "It's very clear that adopting smart monitoring systems to take proactive measures for patient care and improve healthcare quality will be the trend in the future. We are well positioned to provide right products to meet these market requirements.For some vital signs measurements, such as blood glucose and body temperature that OSTAR is not specialized in, the company chose to cooperate with other local companies.Chang believes that it's now a inflection point for the healthcare industry to adopting more ICT technologies, and medical instruments will be increasingly penetrated into household and consumer markets in the end."As a powerhouse in global ICT industry, Taiwan has many medical instrument makers specializing in different areas. It's a great opportunity for us to work together to develop a highly differentiated smart system to expand global market through mutual cooperation", he said.Grasp Market Opportunities with Rich PortfoliosOSTAR's A3 system has been adopted by Show Chwan Hospital and Taipei Medical University Hospital in Taiwan. As for overseas market, "There are 6~7 hospitals are now in test stage currently. I am very optimistic that we will be able to expand the market to as many as 100 hospitals in 4 years", Chang indicated.In addition to heart spectrum blood pressure monitor and A3 smart system, OSTAR has also expanded its product portfolios to other related applications, such as telemedicine system, monitor system for discharged patients, and so on.Meanwhile, OSTAR has teamed up with Prohealthcare Pharmacy and Vision Clinic to implement medical cloud systems, as well as work with leading IT brand, Acer, to build corporate cloud of medical systems.Wearable devices will be another focus for OSTAR. At present, the company is working with Dyaco International to develop a sports band that can transmit blood oxygen and blood pressure data to treadmills. "Sports bands are popular gadgets recently. But, without useful medical information, these devices will only be toys", Chang said."At present, most sports bands can only show heart rate, and our product will take the lead to show more important information such as blood oxygen and blood pressure, to make it more valuable."Chang is keen about OSTAR's future development, since he believes that the growth momentum of health industry and related applications will be huge in the future.Dr. Steven Chang, CTO of OSTAR

As the telecom market moves from 3G to 4G, smartphones require more miniature inductors. A 3G smartphone may only need 15-20 miniature high-frequency chip inductors but a 4G one may require 60-90 pcs. It is therefore imperative to find ways to fit more components in the limited space of a phone or provide more space for batteries by down sizing the component size.The mainstream size for high-frequency chip inductors has been reduced from 0402 to 0201. Using the traditional process to make miniaturized components will usually lead to poorer product efficiency; and for products to maintain or even improve its efficiency, changes need to be made to the materials or circuit design. While the multilayer inductor traditional process can no longer support the 0201 design, the multilayer inductor via process has become the mainstream because it can achieve higher production precision and smaller internal circuit design through support of virtual software. Therefore, Chilisin, which is capable of manufacturing using the via process, has a great competitive edge.Chilisin successfully begins volume production using the technologically-demanding via processThe via process is demanding because it uses extremely thin foil. Advanced laser is used to create via holes on the foil and the holes are then mapped onto different positions of the component. Compared to the traditional process, the via process can allow the printing of more varieties of shapes. According to Chilisin's R&D team, different inductor makers may use the same models of equipment, but the difference is how the equipment is tuned, which involves a lot of know-how. The firm spent a lot of energy developing and improving the process and began using it to mass produce inductors in 2008 ahead of its peers.Among all Taiwan-based inductor makers, Chilisin has the most via process production equipment with a monthly capacity for 400 million units of 0201 high-frequency chip inductors. It plans to expand the monthly capacity to 600 million units in first-half 2015 and 800 million in second-half 2015, as order visibility is clear and demand has been up growing. Currently, via processed products account for around 40% of all Chilisin-made multilayer chip inductors, and the proportion is expected to increase to 70% in the near future.Downsizing without sacrificing functionalitiesCurrently Chilisin mainly uses the via process for making multilayer 0201 high-frequency chip inductors (CHQ0603), multilayer power inductors (MPE), and multilayer common mode filters (CMF). Although the size has been reduced, the functions have not been compromised.Chilisin's executives noted normally a decrease in an inductor's size will be accompanied by weakened capabilities. But at Chilisin, the via process is enhanced by high precision control and simulation software, plus the internal pattern design. Chilisin can produce 0201 inductors whose functions are comparable to those of 0402 ones. The 0201 inductors have been a major focus of Chilisin's product portfolio in the past two years. Chilisin's CHQ0603 series 0201 high-frequency chip inductors can provide 0.6nH-22nH tolerance with only +/-0.1nH tolerance. The product also has low setting up DC resistance (RDC) and high rate current (900mA max).Similarly, the MPE series multilayer power inductors produced using the via process has seen a decrease in size, as well as a 30% reduction in RDC with a three-fold increase in saturation current. These meet mobile devices' requirements for smaller-size components with higher efficiency. Chilisin's new multilayer common mode filters have also decreased in size from 2.0mm x 1.2mm to 0.8mm x 0.6mm. In smartphones, common mode filters are used in MIPI interface which can lower transmission noises caused by the screen and camera module. As more and more filters are required in smartphones, miniaturization is inevitable.The above-mentioned products are mainly supplied to handset makers. In fact, Chilisin has seen breakthroughs in the handset market in recent years. The revenues from this market increased from 16% of total revenues in 2013 to around 25% in 2014. The revenue share will continue to increase in the future.In-house powder production and flexible process combinationsChilisin's leadership in via process volume production lies in its capability of making powders of its own. In Taiwan's inductor sector, Chilisin is the only one that has its own powder-making plants and can adjust its powder formulation. The firm can entirely produce its own powders such as nickel zinc (for inductors) and alloys. In addition to being self-sufficient in producing various powders, Chilisin is one of only a few firms that have all the process technologies for producing multilayering, wire-winding molding, one-piece and thin-film inductors.Chilisin's executives stated that originally, these process technologies were applied individually, but as they matured and advanced, Chilisin began integrating them in preparation for the next wave of demand. For example, the result of combining thin-film and multilayer processes is sub-micron level small-size inductors. Also, the modeling array products rely on a combination of the molding and thin-film processes.Chilisin has flexible capabilities to combine processes, which means the firm can fast response to demand from various markets. In particular, Chilisin believes NFC is the next big thing in the market. Chilisin's executives noted the company has developed related products and has been working with handset makers. When the market begins to boom, Chilisin can satisfy demand immediately by using its flexible production processes.0201 and 0402 high frequency chip inductor specifications

After many years of construction, most developed nations now have fiber-to-the-building (FTTB). However, FTTB alone will not be enough to satisfy the bandwidth demands of the various types of cloud applications in the near future. Therefore, fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) is a must-have. Tatung has spent time and effort developing "bendable optical cables" in order to solve the last mile problem in optical fiber establishment.With the development of 4G, demands for Triple-Play multimedia transmission of voice, data, and video will undoubtedly and rapidly increase. Fiber optic communication, which provides thousands times higher bandwidth than that of copper cables, is more capable of supporting such kind of massive transmissions, and will likely become the market mainstream.It is worth mentioning that in last 10 years, the price of active equipment for fiber optic communications has dropped by two thirds. Such price decline not only allows the cost for construction and maintenance to be reasonable. It also makes the popularization of fiber optic communications easier. Therefore, from FTTB to FTTH, crossing the last-mile of fiber optics establishment - connecting fiber to the user end has become an inevitable approach.M.Y. Hsieh, Senior General Manager of the Power Equipment Business Unit of Tatung's Power Business Group, explains the transmission status of cloud applications. Hsieh says, for uploading data to the cloud, the large amounts of data "produced" by front-end users are not transmitted to the base stationsimply via wireless or microwave mediums. These data are aggregated into fixed mediums and then transmitted to back-end data centers via fiber optic routes. This is why 4G service providers are all anxious to obtain control of physical construction, which allows them to lay more fiber optic cables.Despite the fact that FTTH is a clear trend, we now still faces many challenges for solving the last mile problem of optical fiber establishment. Hsieh points out that the diameter of traditional G.652D fiber optic cables is 10-12mm, which requires at least 120 degrees of turning space. It is impossible for this type of cables to be laid in the narrow low-voltage electrical pipelines of traditional buildings. It is also difficult for such fiber optic cables to be laid in already decorated homes. While home decorations make interior space with many corners, traditional fiber optic cables are not capable of being bent to such extent. Besides, the stretch and stress resistance of traditional fiber optic cables are not sufficient for allowing them to be installed in crowded pipelines, or routed through walls or other obstacles, either.Bendable optical cables have small external diameters, allowing them to be laid in crowded shared pipelinesIn order to solve the aforementioned challenges, Tatung spent over two years developing bendable optical cables, which are not only compliant with international ITU G.657 standards in terms of fiber optic transmissions, but also have reduced diameters (3mm), small turning angles (90 degrees), as well as good G.652D connection compatibility (reducing the amount of loss at connection points). Therefore, this type of cable is capable of overcoming the issues caused by structures with many corners in decorated homes. It's suitable for being laid in existing pipelines. And, this type of cable is even capable of passing through the smallest pipelines and can withstand forces or pressure from other cables due to its strong stretch/stress resistance. To sum, it is clear that all of these features have been carefully designed to solve the problems happening in FTTH establishment.It is also worth mentioning that in the past, there have been some concerns about FTTH. The outer layers of traditional fiber optic cables are made by various types of plastic materials such as PVC. In the case of a fire, these materials are easily flammable and would produce large amounts of smoke, which is extremely hazardous to the human body. Due to these considerations, Tatung's bendable optical cables do not contain any heavy metals and comply with the RoHS requirements of the European Union. Furthermore, Tatung adopts eco-friendly and fire-retardant material - Low Smoke Halogen Free - to produce the outer layer of cables; so, these cables would be unlikely flammable and would not produce hazardous smokes.In addition, Tatung has also considerately incorporated copper cable alike installation methods into its bendable optical cable products. That is, the installation of Tatung's cables is just like what people do while installing coaxial cables. Without support of any professional tool, people can install Tatung's cables easily by connecting its end with connectors. This will not only boost the speed, but also the convenience of installation.Hsieh adds that Tatung's bendable optical cables are suitable for all kinds of new and old buildings with many interior corners, as well as for homes and offices with shared cable pipelines. Furthermore, if cable ducts are not available in old buildings, the small dimensions and bendable properties of Tatung's cables can be easily laid on wall by tying them up or fixing them with U-shaped nails.So far, Tatung's bendable optical cables have been installed in various commercial buildings, factories, as well as luxury homes. The number of installations continues increasing. In terms of promoting these cables, Tatung will do in via 3 approaches. First, Tatung will aggressively introduce and promote this product to the Electrical Engineers Association. Second, Tatung will work with 4G systems providers and promote FTTH applications together. Finally, to cooperate with government's policies for fiber optic-equipped buildings and architectures, Tatung will aggressively promote such kind of cables to construction and property development companies, which will help us realizing the vision of fiber-optic enabled homes as well as smart living.M.Y. Hsieh, Senior General Manager, Power Equipment Business Unit, Power Business Group, Tatung Corporation

Yes we can! For the past 19 years, EverFocus has been supporting and working with our partners down the river of success. "Partner for growth" is what EverFocus has been doing and we believed that to provide something that can efficiently solve the problems is what we can do with our partners to grow together. To provide something valuable to the world has always been our goal to contribute to the society.Surveillance is not merely a video thing, but plenty of integration that brings a huge amount of data. Therefore, dealing with the data, and making the data useful is what we want now and even to the future. What we think and do can be traced from EverFocus' philosophy: to make our life easier and better. This is not only EverFocus' dream, but what people want in their lives.Think about what will happen if the data have been processed for intelligent actions. Imagine a CO2 monitor installed in a classroom. When the air quality is measured as low, the alarm will sound for notification. And that's it. No more further automatic actions. What if we gather the data from a CO2 monitor to a central management system? The data will be stored, the air-conditioning systems will be automatically adjusted to the optimal mode and the door or window can be opened automatically. That's it? Not really! The data will be recorded to the system and the system can produce an annual analysis report in visualized diagram/text or any formats, presenting a broader trend.What can we benefit from this? First, the classroom automation gives us a better indoor environmental quality and can make people feel fresh, work efficiently and it's also good for the health. Moreover, analysis reports help us for future improvement. This is what EverFocus wants to do. What we want to do is to contribute to the surveillance environment, not only limited to the present, but prevent from what will happen in the future. Thus, EverFocus presents the Genie XMS to the world, the next generation central management system to fulfill future requirements.Designed with a flexible architecture, the central management system is able to connect all kinds of devices, sensors, alarm and multiple service systems to fit customer requirements. Integration/customization service is the reason why the Genie XMS has been launched to the market.EverFocus provides a full range of product line-up. But that's just not enough. We focus on the solution-based services and we are ready for various solution services encountered on our way.About EverFocus Electronics CorporationEverFocus Electronics Corporation (TWSE: 5484) is a leading integrated security solution provider. Our lineup includes CMS, IP, HD-SDI, analog, mobile surveillance solutions, access control systems, as well as surveillance and access control peripherals. EverFocus has offices globally, located in Taiwan, the U.S.A, Germany, China, Japan, and India. For more information, please visit http://www.everfocus.com.tw/EverFocus' philosophy to make our life easier and better

DIY security systems became instant hits when they were introduced to the industry due to their practicality and convenience. With the increasing need of smart home systems, the global alarm systems supplier LuxHome is thrilled to announce its highly anticipated online shopping site www.myluxhome.com is now live to customers in the United Kingdom. LuxHome's full line of signature products can be shipped to anywhere in the United Kingdom, including Northern and Southern Ireland.Opening an e-commerce store and making innovative, high-quality, affordable alarm systems available to the United Kingdom are important steps of LuxHome's long-term strategy to be the world's number one supplier. LuxHome will continue to look for more opportunities to support stores from different regions and of different languages, seeking to provide millions more people worldwide of our service, products, and brand values.LuxHome provides a wide range of products such as alarm kits, door/window contacts, motion sensors, sirens, and security lightings. The network scale of the security systems is flexible, as multiple applications are feasible and we provide several accessories for you to expand the system.LuxHome revealed its greatly anticipated 2.4GHz Smart Home Security System LHK110EK designed for a simpler and more straightforward installation. The LuxHome LHK110EK is a wireless all-in-one smart home security system that integrates the functions of alarm, CCTV, DVR and home automation devices in one intelligent 7 inch Touch Panel console. It provides a friendly and comprehensive graphic user interface for easy installation and management, and together with the SMA Smartphone App, a complete remote management and control over the internet anytime, anywhere.Safer Greener Smarter is the motto and the core value of the LuxHome brand. LuxHome is ready to create smart home solutions that enhance the quality of life. For more information about LuxHome smart home products, please visit our official website at http://www.myluxhome.com/.LuxHome's full line of signature products can be shipped to anywhere in the United Kingdom, including Northern and Southern Ireland.

Indium Corporation was presented with the Global Technology Award for its BiAgX solder paste at SMTA International in Rosemont, Ill. on Tuesday, September 30. Sponsored by Global SMT & Packaging, the Global Technology Awards have acknowledged outstanding innovations in the printed circuit board assembly and packaging industry for the past 10 years.BiAgX was created specifically for high-temperature die-attach applications in discrete power devices. Designed as a drop-in replacement for standard high Pb-containing solder pastes, it has passed MSL1, HAST, and thermal cycle testing at several power semiconductor customers.BiAgX is suited for small, low-voltage QFN packages that are used in portable electronics, such as smartphones and tablets, automotive assemblies, and industrial applications. BiAgX excels in high junction-temperature environments in excess of 150 degrees C. It requires minimal process adjustments and no extra capital expenditure for customers converting from a standard high Pb-containing solder paste-based die-attach process.BiAgX addresses both customer demands and legislative changes that eliminate lead from high-melting die-attach applications. It is both Pb-free and Sb-free and does not contain costly specialty materials, such as nanosilver or sintering aids.BiAgX reflows, solders, wets, and solidifies just like any other solder paste, and is available in both dispensing and printing forms. Fluxes are cleanable with standard cleaning chemistries and processes. For more information about BiAgX, visit http://www.indium.com/biagx, or email amackie@indium.com.Indium Corporation is a premier materials manufacturer and supplier to the global electronics, semiconductor, solar, thin-film, and thermal management markets. Products include solders and fluxes; brazes; thermal interface materials; sputtering targets; indium, gallium, germanium, and tin metals and inorganic compounds; and NanoFoil. Founded in 1934, Indium has global technical support and factories located in China, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the USA.

Leading semiconductor test equipment supplier Advantest Corporation (TSE: 6857, NYSE: ATE) announced that a new mold thickness metrology system, the TS9000, for measuring the thickness of semiconductor packaging, is available for purchase. The system is based on advances in Terahertz (THz) technology pioneered by Advantest.The TS9000 Mold Thickness Analysis (MTA) System is a new metrology tool that performs non-destructive analysis of the thickness of semiconductor packaging. Meeting the high standards of speed and accuracy required for high-volume manufacturing, its innovative inspection capabilities are expected to contribute significantly to product quality improvement amid the trends towards smaller device sizes and higher integration, driven in part by the widespread adoption of smartphones and tablets.Already installed and in use, the TS9000 heralds a new product family of analysis systems for high-volume manufacturing. Future systems from the THz product family will target the pharmaceutical, automotive, ceramic and other industrial markets in addition to semiconductors. Advantest is leveraging its leading capabilities in terahertz technology to bring cutting-edge non-destructive analysis to industrial production lines.BackgroundThe worldwide embrace of smartphones and other advanced consumer electronics is driving demand for smaller, more highly integrated semiconductor devices. Semiconductor packages for this market must be compact, thin, and tough enough to stand up to mobile usage. The semiconductor industry has few higher priorities than achieving an optimal balance of package durability and thinness.However, existing metrology methods are not suitable for volume production lines. Manufacturers have had to test package thickness by inspecting samples late in the production process. Existing metrology methods are slow, laborious and destructive and not compatible with quality control in a high volume environment. This makes it difficult to assess the quality of the entire production run and problematic to trace the root cause of any defects in the final product.Advantest's TS9000 solves these issues by enabling rapid, repeatable, and highly accurate measurements of mold thickness, without the limitations of existing measurement methods. Highly adaptable, it can be deployed at various points in the assembly and packaging process, even immediately after the curing process, enabling earlier detection of production issues and improving product quality and yield.Product Features*Non-Destructive Terahertz Technology: The TS9000 exploits the unique characteristics of terahertz radiation, which have high penetration into many materials, including ceramics, silicon and plastic polymers, even if those materials are optically opaque. This allows for non-destructive layer thickness measurements in a wide variety of materials.*Suitable for High Volume Manufacturing Environments: Advantest's proprietary technologies, such as rapid fiber coupled pulsed laser generation and detection of THz waves, enable the TS9000 to meet the highest industry standards for measurement speed and accuracy. This first-in-class system delivers throughput suitable for a high-volume manufacturing environment.*Improved Quality Control: The TS9000 can be implemented early in the process and be used to measure strip packages - before units are cut into single devices. This, coupled with the significantly higher throughput compared to conventional mold thickness measurements, makes this a tool which can drastically improve process quality control.*Diverse Form Factors: In addition to strip units, the highly adaptable TS9000 supports measurement of individual devices handled using industry standard JEDEC trays, making it flexible and compatible with existing sample handling methods.Key SpecificationsApplication: Semiconductor package thickness inspection Measurable Layer thickness: 30μm ~ 600μmAccuracy: better than 3μmOperating environment: Temperature: +10 degrees C ~ +30 degrees C; humidity: <80%Dimensions: Analysis unit: 430 (W) × 540 (D) × 330 (H) mm / 30 kg or lessOptical unit: 430 (W) × 240 (D) × 220 (H) mm / 14 kg or lessMeasurement unit: 1050 (W) × 650 (D) × 450 (H) mm/67kg or lessTS9000 measurement unit (left), controller (right), and analysis software screenshot (rear).

The race to thinner devices with high performance pushes the advanced packaging industry toward smaller form factor and thinner packages, some as small as a just a few hundred microns (less than 0.3 mm) in height. To accommodate this rapid miniaturization, we are seeing a growing number of trends to improve existing processing techniques.One such trend is the utilization of inkjet technology to replace traditional engraving techniques for package marking via a fully-additive non-contacting deposition method. When executed correctly, inkjet marking offers equivalent permanence to traditional engraving techniques to protect against fading or peeling but completely offsets the risk of the heat damage to the IC chip inside the semiconductor package. As an added benefit, this flexible, cost-effective solution also provides faster and clearer printing over the conventional method of engraving through laser cutting.Orbotech Ltd., a leading provider of digital production solutions for the micro-electronics industry, offers a cutting-edge inkjet printer designed to answer the needs of the IC packaging market. "We have developed our inkjet printer to exceed the market's demands," said Arik Gordon, Orbotech's Printed Circuit Board Division President. "Orbotech Inkjet 500 is on site at several leading Advanced IC packaging manufacturers and is currently being utilizing for a range of cutting-edge applications." Orbotech is also currently working in cooperation with several leading ink and chemical R&D centers on the latest cutting-edge developments for the consumer electronics manufacturing industry.Orbotech's patented DotStream Technology directly prints the ink onto the substrate using an innovative inkjet chemical deposition control. This ensures accurate pattern printing and efficient bond formation between the ink and the chip surface.Printing and ultraviolet irradiation are carried out simultaneously to solidify the ink to the package surface. This permanent adhesion process not only guarantees safety of the chip, but also longevity of the package by eliminating peeling or fading."As the need for smaller electronic components increases at an unprecedented rate and in parallel the demand for smaller and thinner Advanced IC packages increases, conventional marking techniques pose a high risk of damaging the IC chip inside the package," explains Micha Perlman, General Manager of Orbotech's Italy-based inkjet development and production center. "Orbotech's Inkjet 500 offers a smarter and safer CAM-ready alternative to traditional laser marking for permanent legends and 2D barcode marking with higher contrast and clearer resolution."This flexible system supports a wide range of ink types and guarantees unmatched adhesion for a large variety of ink types to ensure easy, scalable manufacturing processes that are simple to manage. DotStream Technology provides advanced drop control and utilizes sophisticated algorithms for digital data optimization and optimal drop distribution per pixel for precisely accurate results. High registration accuracy (±35 μm) supports high-contrast printing of small character sizes (down to 0.3 mm) across a large range of font types for optimal clarity. This ensures that the process is not only safer, but also produces cleaner and clearer high-resolution and high-contrast permanent markings.This flexible system supports a wide range of ink types and guarantees unmatched adhesion for a large variety of ink types to ensure easy, scalable manufacturing processes that are simple to manage. DotStream Technology provides advanced drop control and utilizes sophisticated algorithms for digital data optimization and optimal drop distribution per pixel for precisely accurate results. High registration accuracy (±35 μm) supports high-contrast printing of small character sizes (down to 0.3 mm) across a large range of font types for optimal clarity. This ensures that the process is not only safer, but also produces cleaner and clearer high-resolution and high-contrast permanent markings.Fully-additive non-contacting inkjet printing now guarantees high-contrast permanent ink adhesion while protecting the chip inside the packageExample of Orbotech Inkjet 500's high-contrast, clear results across a range of character sizes (down to 0.3 mm)Example of underfill dam printing using the Orbotech Inkjet 500