he sixteenth annual IITC is sponsored by the IEEE Electron Devices Society as a premier conference for interconnect technology. It provides a forum for professionals and researchers in semiconductor processing, advanced materials, equipment development, and interconnect systems to present and discuss exciting new science and technology. IITC 2013 will be held Thursday, June 13 through Saturday, June 15 at Kyoto Research Park in Kyoto, Japan. It will be held adjacent to the IEEE VLSI Symposium, which is also being held in Kyoto. The conference attracts professionals from industry, academia, and national laboratories in semiconductor processing, interconnect design, and equipment development. The conference topics include both fundamental and applied research, as well as issues related to introduction into manufacturing. Subjects of interest include all aspects of Interconnects: Materials and Unit Processes, Process Integration, Characterization, Reliability, Chip-Package Interaction (CPI), 3D Integration and TSV Technology, Novel Systems and Packaging, Novel Materials and Concepts, Back- End Memories, beyond CMOS, and MEMS as well as the Specific Interest Areas listed below. This year, the Organizing Committee is explicitly soliciting contributions in the following specific interest areas: optical interconnects, technology-design interactions, patterning, beyond copper-low k interconnects, back-end embedded memories, and 3D integration. Regular papers, with 3-page abstracts, will be selected for either oral or poster presentation. In addition, papers with 2-page abstracts will be selected for a special poster session for New Engineers and Students. The deadline for paper submissions is January 14, 2013.