About TechSearch International

TechSearch International, Inc. was founded in Austin, Texas, in 1987 by E. Jan Vardaman as a technology licensing and consulting firm specializing in the electronics industry.

We are recognized around the world as a leading consulting company in the field of advanced semiconductor packaging technology.

TechSearch International, Inc.
4801 Spicewood Springs Rd.
Suite 150
Austin, Texas 78759 USA


Our Mission

Provide tools that enable success:
    Authentic technical and economic analysis of market and technology trends in semiconductor packaging, assembly, and materials
    Frequent updates on the latest technology developments
    Strategic planning and execution assistance
    Technology licensing and connecting partners for joint development

Participate directly with client teams in providing an understanding of changes and drivers in the marketplace.

Provide competitive analysis of semiconductor packages, materials, equipment, and assembly marketplaces to aid new product introductions.


Our Analysts

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E. Jan Vardaman – president and founder

She is the co-author of How to Make IC Packages (by Nikkan Kogyo Shinbunsha), a columnist with Printed Circuit Design & Fab/Circuits Assembly, and the author of numerous publications on emerging trends in semiconductor packaging and assembly. She served on the NSF-sponsored World Technology Evaluation Center (WTEC) study team involved in investigating electronics manufacturing in Asia and on the U.S. mission to study manufacturing in China. She is a senior member of IEEE EPS and is an IEEE EPS Distinguished Lecturer. She is a member of SEMI, IMAPS, and SMTA. She received the IMAPS GBC Partnership award in 2012, the Daniel C. Hughes, Jr. Memorial Award in 2018, and the Sidney J. Stein International Award in 2019. She is an IMAPS Fellow. Before founding TechSearch International, she served on the corporate staff of Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC), the electronics industry’s first pre-competitive research consortium.

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Dr. Frank J. Bachner – senior analyst

He specializes in electronic materials and advanced packaging. Before becoming a consultant, Dr. Bachner was the Director, Advanced Product Programs at Alcoa Electronic Packaging, Inc., a manufacturer of ceramic pin grid arrays for microprocessor application. Before joining Alcoa, he worked in marketing and product development related to advanced packaging at Ceramics Process Systems and Engelhard Corporation. Dr. Bachner received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts (MIT). Following receipt of his doctorate, he was responsible for research programs in silicon device technology, thin films, and advanced packaging at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory. He is a member of IEEE EPS and IMAPS.

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Linda Bal – senior analyst

She has more than 25 years experience in the design, test, and manufacturing of electronic packaging for semiconductors and systems from positions with Freescale, Motorola, Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC) and Eastman Kodak authoring/co-authoring numerous publications. She is a member of IEEE, JEDEC, and IMAPS. A member of the IMAPS technical committee since 2007, her contributions include chairing the FC/WLP Track for the DPC in 2013 and 2014, co-chairing the FC track in 2009 & 2010, and moderating Technical Panel Discussions in 2011 and 2012. She received her B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering degree from Purdue University.

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Shaun Bowers – senior analyst

He is an automotive electronics expert in the digital, analog, and power architectures being adopted by mobility companies worldwide. He was at Amkor where he developed the strategy and led the transition from Si to SiC module packaging as VP of power products at Amkor Technology Inc. He also created IP in memory, MEMS, and power electronics while leading the mainstream advanced packaging and technology integration at Amkor. He has a BSME from Gonzaga University and received honors CORe certification from Harvard Business School in 2022.

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Karen Carpenter – senior analyst

She is the former marketing manager for IBM Interconnect Products Group and the former Director of Marketing for Endicott Interconnect Technologies. During her 21-year career at IBM, she held positions in engineering, finance, strategic planning, and marketing management, spanning the areas of chip packaging, printed circuit boards, and electronic assembly. She is a member of the IPC and serves on its Technology Marketing Research Council steering committee. She received the IPC President’s Award and was nominated as one of the Atomic 29 most influential people in the IMS/PCB industry. She received her B.S. in chemistry from State University of New York and received her marketing education through IBM’s professional development programs. She has several technical and business publications, holds several US patents related to the electronic packaging industry, and is the author of a quarterly column, Marketing Matters, for Circuitree magazine.

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Charles Cohn – senior analyst

He was a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff in the IC Packaging and Interconnection Organization at Agere Systems. He held positions with AT&T/Lucent/Agere for 23 years and was the lead resource on PCB technology supporting the development of advanced organic PBGA substrates for wire bonded and flip chip IC interconnections. He maintained close relationships with a broad spectrum of organic substrate suppliers worldwide and continually assessed the latest technologies and manufacturing capabilities. Before joining AT&T, he was an engineering specialist at the Singer/Kearfott Company, involved in electronic packaging and thermal design of airborne electronic modules and inertial navigation systems for the military. He has authored chapters in several McGraw Hill IC Packaging Handbooks, co-edited a McGraw Hill book titled Failure-Free IC Packages, and conducted many seminars and presented numerous papers on electronic packaging. He holds eight US patents and three patents pending on IC packaging construction and thermal enhancements. He holds B.S., M.S., and M.E. degrees in mechanical engineering from Columbia University in New York, New York, and has a New Jersey Professional Engineering License.

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John Hunt – senior analyst

He held a senior role with ASE for more than 21 years providing technical support for Advanced Wafer Level and Fan Out Packaging Technologies. He has more than 49 years of experience in various areas of manufacturing, assembly, and testing of electronic components and systems, with emphasis on the development of new technologies and processes.

John has a B.S. from Rutgers University and an M.S. from the University of Central Florida. He has worked as a Semiconductor Process Engineer for RCA; an electro-optics Engineer for International Laser; Field Engineer for Ray Gulf, Kuwait; R&D Manager for Piezo Technology; Engineering and R&D Manager for Digital Equipment; Engineering Manager for Nortel, and R&D Engineering manager for Ad flex Flexible Circuits.

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Dick James – senior analyst

He was Senior Fellow/Technology Analyst at Chipworks (now TechInsights) for over 20 years, acting as a consultant to staff and customers, dealing with the microstructural characterization of devices, both process and packaging. He is now a Fellow Emeritus at TechInsights and presents at many technical conferences. He also writes blogs at TechInsights.com and Solid State Technology.

Dick graduated in 1971 with a M.Sc. in Microelectronics and Semiconductor Devices from the University of Southampton in England, and a B.Sc. in Applied Chemistry from the University of Salford. He has over 45 years of experience in process development, design, manufacturing, packaging and reverse engineering of semiconductor devices.

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Dr. Timothy G. Lenihan – senior analyst

He earned his B.S. degrees in Physics and Mathematics from Wheeling College, West Virginia in 1974, his MS degree in Solid State Physics from DePaul University in 1978, and his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arkansas in 1996. He spent 15 years at IBM, first as development manager of microelectronics and manufacturing engineering manager, then as the director of manufacturing engineering, R&D and sales and marketing at Sheldahl. He pioneered the development of a low-cost/high-performance integrated passive packaging technology that incorporates multilayered flex material with capacitor, resistor and inductor devices embedded in the electronic package. He is a Senior Member of IEEE EPS and a member of IMAPS and the New York Academy of Science. He is also an Adjunct Faculty member in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Arkansas, and has published over 70 papers in journals and technical conference proceedings.

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Linda C. Matthew – senior analyst

Linda Matthew obtained her B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Material Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has worked at IBM Watson Research Center in New York, Tessera, nCHIP and LSI Logic in package development engineering and marketing of flex packaging, silicon MCMs, micro-BGAs, and other advanced packaging. Linda has multiple publications and is named on seven US and four foreign patents. She served as president of the IEEE EPS Santa Clara Valley chapter, and on the committee of the IEMT symposium.

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Andrea H. Myers — marketing and research consultant

She started her career at Motorola and brings more than 25 years of semiconductor industry experience in marketing, communications corporate strategy, factory expansion, pricing and business development, strategic sourcing, and OSAT management. Andrea joined TechSearch International in 2018 and previously held roles in Motorola and Freescale Semiconductor based in Arizona, and United Test and Assembly Center, based in Singapore. She obtained her B.S. in Business from University of Phoenix in 1999.

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Dr. Dan Tracy – senior advisor

He has over 25 years’ experience in the electronics industry in the areas of semiconductor packaging, thin films, semiconductor process equipment, and semiconductor materials. Dr. Tracy was the Senior Director of the Industry Research & Statistics group at SEMI, providing market reports and forecasts covering capital spending, electronic materials, and equipment for wafer fabrication, assembly & packaging, and test. Prior to joining SEMI, Dr. Tracy worked as a Research Associate at Rose Associates, specializing in packaging and thin film materials, and was employed as a Packaging Engineer at National Semiconductor Corp. He obtained his Ph.D. in Materials Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, his M.S. in Materials Science & Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology, and his B.S. in Chemistry from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Dr. Tracy is a member of IEEE and MEPTEC.

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Trevor Yancey – senior analyst

He has more than 30 years experience analyzing and predicting semiconductor market and technology trends. Before joining TechSearch in 2015, he was vice president and co-founder of IC Insights, responsible for the company’s research analysis of chip fabrication and packaging technology advancements. He also developed market forecasts using both supply-side and demand-side research, including analysis of wafer fab capacity levels, R&D spending, IC manufacturing costs, and end-use system requirements. He received his B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Arizona State University and he is a member of IEEE's EPS, CAS, and SSC societies, IMAPS, and SMTA.

Who We Are
TechSearch International is recognized around the world as a leading consulting company in the field of advanced semiconductor packaging and assembly, electronics manufacturing, and materials.
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  • +1.512.372.8887
  • +1.512.372.8889
  • 4801 Spicewood Springs Rd, Ste 150
    Austin, TX 78759
    United States