Thermal performance of a part can easily be described in standard JEDEC terms such as theta j-a, theta j-c and psi j-b. As performance, power, and die size increase, however, standard assumptions break down. There are many tool types available that analyze die heat distribution, package conductivity, and system airflow cooling, yet they do not currently interact with one another. This panel of experts will examine various issues and considerations for implementing effective strategies for ensuring proper thermal performance. Their perspectives will cover a range of design levels, from chip to packaging to the entire system.

Panelists will include designers and suppliers of thermal design tools for the package, die, and system level of design, including the following:

Margery Conner Technical Editor Online Initiatives, Power EDN

Ms. Conner joined Reed's electronics-industry portal, e-inSITE, as a technical editor in 1998 and became editorial director in 1999. She created some of the earliest e-mail newsletters for the electronics industry, including narrowly focused niche newsletters. She also developed a video-on-demand news program for the electronics-OEM market. When EDN magazine absorbed e-inSITE, she moved over to EDN as technical editor of online initiatives. In addition, she covers the power systems beat. She has a B.S.E.E. from the University of California-Irvine and 10 years of experience as a design engineer and an engineering manager.

Javier DeLaCruz Semiconductor Packaging Manager eSilicon Corporation

Mr. DeLaCruz manages the packaging and package simulation departments of eSilicon Corporation. He has more than 10 years of experience in semiconductor packaging and has worked primarily in microwave packaging, high-density and high-speed digital packaging, and package signal integrity.

An-Yu Kuo Chief Technical Officer and Member of the Board of Directors Optimal Corporation

Dr. Kuo co-founded Optimal Corporation in 1995 to provide electrical and thermo-mechanical simulation services to local electronics and semiconductor equipment companies, and was integral to the development of Optimal's flagship products O-Wave, PakSi-E, and PakSi-TM. Dr. Kuo received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from national Tsing-Hua University in Hsinchu, Taiwan, and an M.S. in mechanical engineering from National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan. Dr. Kuo also received a Ph.D. in theoretical and applied mechanics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Prabhu Sathyamurthy Director, ICE Ansys

Dr. Sathyamurthy's division is responsible for developing the business strategy, products and the global sales and customer service operations. He has also led the Icepak business development for the past 10 years. Prior to joining Ansys, he was a senior engineer at Innovative Research. Dr. Sathyamurthy has a Bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in mechanical engineering. He is an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions of Components and Packaging Technologies.

Dian Yang Vice President, Product Management and General Manager Apache

Prior to joining Apache, Dr. Yang co-founded InnoLogic Systems, a provider of formal verification solutions for full-custom designs. InnoLogic was acquired by Synopsys in 2003, where he continued to lead the adoption, integration, and advancement of the InnoLogic products as a senior director in the implementation business unit. Previous to InnoLogic, Dr. Yang held various management positions in SGI/MIPS, LSI, and Avant!. He has extensive experience in development and management of EDA software, including memory compilers, static timing tools, DFT and functional verification solutions.