San Jose, California-based nChip Inc, which makes silicon-based, high-density multichip modules, has won a multi-million dollar investment from Japan: it has teamed with Sumitomo Metal Mining Electronics Inc for joint development of low-cost packaging, electro-plating and production technologies for the modules, and the two will work together on continued improvement aimed at lowering the cost and improving the volume manufacturability of core technologies employed in multichip modules, including sub strate, packaging and interconnect technologies; the relationship with Sumitomo Metal Mining as an investor is part of nChip’s strategy of tying with semiconductor, systems and packaging firms worldwide to develop its technology more widely. .cw 9
