2023 was a year of growth and change for 3D InCites, as well as me personally. In April, I left my role at Kiterocket and the security of a salary and benefits to follow my passion and focus full-time on supporting the 3D InCites Community. It was time, and I was ready. We have things to do, and you deserve all my focus. So here I am. Since then, we’ve grown the membership, rebooted our advisory board to better reflect the community, revamped the 3D InCites Awards, and more.
2023 was all about celebrating the community that 3D InCites has become. As of this writing, we have 62 members and counting. What began as a group of equipment and materials suppliers focused on the adoption of 3D packaging technologies has evolved into a community that represents the entire advanced packaging, heterogeneous integration (HI), 3D HI and Chiplet supply chains.
In 2023 we welcomed Fraunhofer IZM as our first research technology organization (RTO) member, and IBM as the largest North American outsourced semiconductor and test (OSAT) facility. DSV IMS (inventory management solutions) became our first member not involved directly in manufacturing devices, but is a critical element in the supply chain. PulseForge joined after discovering us through their integration partner, ERS electronic GmbH, who is a long-time member. Heidenhain joined because the membership itself represents many if its customers. These are just a few examples.
The pages of this issue are filled with contributed content from our regular bloggers and community members, covering the most critical topics of today. Dean Freeman looks into the future of the current semiconductor cycle. Julia Goldstein provides a status check on our industry’s sustainability efforts, Mark Berry updates us on test.
ClassOne shares insights on bridging the path from University to Industry, and several members share their successes in growing their talent pipeline. From the technology perspective, Amkor talks about the next phase of automotive compute, Trymax Semiconductor provides tip on when to use plasma processes, StratEdge explains the thermal challenges of packaging GaN devices, and Siemens shares five workflows for tackling HI of chiplets for 2.5D/3D. Heidenhain contributed a technical article to this year’s Yearbook explaining the importance of motion control in today’s advanced packaging technologies that call for unprecedented, combined speed, accuracy, and precision.
While being a community member isn’t required to participate in the annual 3D InCites Awards, we’re proud to see many members among the finalists, including DECA, ERS, PulseForge, Siemens, LPKF, Multibeam, Zeiss, Cadence, Brewer Science, NAMICS, Onto Innovation,
Plasma-Therm, and NHanced Semiconductors. Check out all the finalists beginning on Page 28.
This year’s cover story features SEMI’s Ajit Manocha. In Leading the Charge to One Trillion Dollars, Ajit shares his personal leadership learnings to illustrate the approaches we need to take this industry forward and shape a sustainable path to $1Trillion.
We’ve all heard the term “Pillars of the Community”. These are prominent members who stand out as key supporters. This year, I’d like to acknowledge three member companies we consider Pillars of the 3D InCites Community: EV Group, KLA, and ASE Group. All three companies have shown their commitment through generous Platinum Sponsorships of the annual 3D InCites Awards for many years.
And that’s only the beginning. For the third consecutive year, KLA will sponsor our now-annual Hike For DEI. This year’s proceeds will support STEM education for women and underrepresented minorities, through scholarships available at the technical school, community college, and university levels.
For EV Group, the dedication to the community extends beyond sponsorship. EV Group’s Director of Marketing Communications, Clemens Schütte joined our newly formed Member Advisory Board and was instrumental in re-shaping the 3D InCites Awards. As EV Group was the OG supporter of 3D InCites before we even had a formal community, I’m thrilled to tap into Clemens’ industry and marcom insight.
EVG is a company that fully understands the meaning of community. They’ve been investing in their local community for more than 40 years. You can read more about the vision of EV Group’s founders in the feature article, EV Group: More than 40 Years of Growth Fueled by 3D/Heterogeneous Integration, contributed by Paul Lindner.
I could go on… but I’m running out of room. Suffice it to say that I’m honored to lead this community into 2024 and beyond. Remember – you get out of it what you put into it! Let’s see where the year takes us!
