Today marks the beginning of Semicon West 2008, North America’s largest event dedicated to the global semiconductor photovoltaic (PV) and microelectronics manufacturing supply chains. From now until July 17, industry enthusiasts will return to the Moscone Center, which is co-hosting the Intersolar North America, an inaugural solar energy and PV technology event. This year’s themes will focus on “Semiconductors in Transition,” “The Mobile Electronics Revolution,” and “Integration of Design/Production/Test.” Semicon West is the place to see the companies, technologies and individuals driving the future of micro- and nanoelectronics. Attendees can learn about the latest developments in semiconductors, MEMS, renewable energy applications, semiconductor tests, advanced packaging, wafer processing and more. Highlights at the event will include the Semicon West Packaging Summit, which focuses on Through Silicon Via (TSV) technology; a panel focusing on the transition to 450 mm wafer transition and the ITRS summer public conference; and the SEMI Gartner Market Symposium. A forum entitled "How to Breath Life into New Fabs" will address both fab productivity and fab life-cycle transition opportunities, including secondary equipment markets, factory automation strategies, fab agility, and MEMs manufacturing.Executive keynote speakers at this year’s event will include, Yukio Sakamoto, president, representative director and CEO of Elpida Memory; Bernie Meyerson, vice president for Strategic Alliances, CTO and IBM fellow, IBM Systems and Technology Group; Gadi Singer, vice president, Mobility Group and general manager of the System-on-Chip Enabling Group at Intel; Grant Seiffert, president of the Telecommunications Industry Association; and Jim Miller, executive vice president, Products and Technologies Organization at Cadence Design SystemsThe TechXPOT (Tech Spot) concept returns for the third year with Emerging Markets; Test, Assembly and Packaging; and Device Scaling TechXPOTS. The TechXPOTS will address critical issues in semiconductor manufacturing today such as advanced processes and materials for 32 nm and 22 nm nodes, lithography at 22 nm, high density packaging, functional test challenges, and yield management. New and emerging markets and technologies will address solid state lighting, nano fuel cells and energy harvesting, and printed/flexible electronics.SEMICON West 2008 will feature about 1200 exhibiting companies, representing 23 countries, and is the largest event of its kind in North America. For more information, visit: www.semiconwest.org