August 30, 2011 - SEMICON Taiwan (Sept. 7-9) approaches, the island's most celebrated event for microelectronics manufacturing, coorganized by SEMI and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), offers more than 60 programs and sessions and 550 exhibitors spanning the entire semiconductor value chain and related high-growth industries.

A "Market Trend Forum" will host five industry analysts with their takes on future trends in semiconductor markets from up and down the value chain: foundries, DRAM, packaging, and equipment/materials.

The SiP Global Summit presents the latest 3D IC developments from TSMC and ASE, and offers talks on test challenges, 2.5D-3D ICs, and device-embedded substrates, dubbed "the last mile" in heterogeneous integration in SiP packaging.

A gathering for celebration, to see and be seen: The 2011 Leadership Gala Dinner will honor TSMC's Morris Chang, recipient of the 2011 Akira Inoue award, and we're told that President Ma Ying-jeou will talk as well. Other invited guests listed are Vincent Siew, VP representing the ROC; Wu Den-Yih, Premier of the Executive Yuan; Yen-Shiang Shih from the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA); and Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-Bin.

For networking, the CEO Forum presents a range of talks from top industry execs (Mentor Graphics, IMEC, Applied Materials, TSMC), addressing market differentiation, future "hyper-intelligent systems," equipment technology inflection points, and other silicon IC technology challenges and opportunities. And there's the annual SEMICON Taiwan golf tournament and luncheon.

Other forums cover a range of hot industry topics:

- MEMS: Litho for 3D TSV MEMS, etching, simulation, test
- LEDs Cost and technology trends, manufacturing efficiencies, packaging
- Green Manufacturing: Reducing and efficiently managing consumption of energy, water, hazardous substances, waste, etc. Talks include ISO and SEMI standards, TSMC's "total chemical management," pump/abatement, automation, etc.
- More: Manufacturing/design collaboration, CMP, secondary equipment, and a number of themed pavilions including a Cross-Strait and several national ones.

To learn more about the show and register, go to www.semicontaiwan.org.