Welcome to the 42nd Annual International Symposium on Microelectronics, the premier conference bringing together the entire microelectronics supply chain.  Sponsored by the International Microelectronics And Packaging Society (IMAPS), this year’s Symposium is being held in the heart of Silicon Valley - San Jose, California.  As Technical Chairs, we are excited by the scope and quality of this year’s program and hope that you have already saved the dates – November 1st thru 5th.  

We have brought together a Technical Program with 27 sessions that includes an Interactive Poster session, with more than 200 papers and posters addressing all aspects of microelectronics packaging between the chip and the system.  We will also have 15 Professional Development Courses, 2 Keynote Presentations, a powerful Global Business Council meeting, and significant student participation activities.

IMAPS 2009 in San Jose promises to be an excellent technical program including several special focused sessions that address innovative technology and new development in the application areas of Biomedical, Portable, Automotive, and Consumer Applications. Here are a few highlights, offering opportunities to: 

• Dive deep into technology and development.  The overall program is organized into six tracks that address Focused Sessions, Systems and Designs, Materials, Reliability, Advanced Technologies, and Emerging Technology.  Specific topics within these tracks include the latest technical innovations in 3D Packaging, Sensors and MEMS, Emerging Technology, as well as Printed Electronics.
• Explore business trends.  The highly successful Global Business Council program, which was a big hit last year, will be held on Wednesday, November 4th, and is comprised of two powerful presentations addressing business trends and key market drivers in our society.
• Network with colleagues from all over the world.  One of the great aspects of attending a technical program of this nature is the chance to meet and converse with peers from all over the world. IMAPS, a truly international society, will have speakers from 15 countries, and attendees from Europe, the Pacific Rim, and the Americas, providing incredible opportunities for networking and idea sharing.
• Connect to microelectronics supply chain.  Over 100 exhibitors have registered already, ensuring that our Exhibits Hall will feature a diverse range of companies showcasing their latest products and technologies.  

We would like to thank the IMAPS Technical Committee for an outstanding job of reviewing abstracts and organizing sessions. Special thanks to IMAPS staff for their invaluable help in so many areas.

As technical co-chairs we are excited about the impact this powerful technical program will have on our society members and their respective businesses.  We hope you share our anticipation for this year’s event and are looking forward to a fantastic 5 days of insights, inspiration and idea sharing. 

Reserve your space now – we’ll see you in San Jose in November!

Jie Xue Cisco Systems, Inc. jixue@cisco.com

Mark Hoffmeyer IBM Corporation hoffmeyr@us.ibm.com

Ricky Lee Hong Kong University of Science and Technology rickylee@ust.hk