May 15, 2026

Nan Ya PCB targets high-end IC substrate growth amid AI demand Nan Ya PCB expands into advanced IC substrates, aiming to reshape AI hardware supply chains by boosting capacity for high-performance GPUs, switches, and edge AI devices, while leveraging parent-group factories and executing its 2026 development roadmap to scale production. Digitimes

Sponsor Openair-Plasma for Semiconductor Manufacturing Openair-Plasma for semicon-ductor production is an alternative to vacuum plasma. Typical apps are wire bonding, die bonding & pre-molding. Download here. Plasmatreat GmbH

Forced to vibe code at work, programmers say their skills are deteriorating Tech firms tout AI coding gains, but programmers report rising debugging burdens, skill decay, and technical debt from 'vibe coding'. Some return to manual coding while debates intensify over mandates, performance pressure, and whether a balanced approach is possible. TechSpot

How pH Cleaning Agents Affect Production Performance Establishing a reliable cleaning process requires a good understanding of all influencing factors, including pH, and defining the correct balance to meet final product reliability. Technical Paper

70% of Americans don't want AI data centers near their home, that's more opposition than nuclear plants get Gallup survey finds 70% of Americans oppose building AI data centers in their communities, citing heavy water and energy use and quality-of-life concerns. Opposition exceeds that for nuclear plants, despite supporters highlighting local jobs and economic benefits. TechSpot

Sponsor The Industry Standard Solder Paste Looking to Avoid the Void® and enhance SIR performance? Indium8.9HF is your proven, versatile and stable, no-clean, halogen-free, Pb-free solder paste solution. Indium Corporation

Nvidia looks for breakthrough in China on chip deal after US buying clearance US authorities approved about 10 Chinese firms to buy Nvidia’s H200 AI chips, but no shipments have occurred as deals stall amid Beijing pushback and US-China tech tensions, while CEO Jensen Huang seeks progress during high-level talks in Beijing. Taipei Times

Component Pressure Exposure Validation in An Inline Wash System The purpose of this research is to measure what circuit cards and parts on those assemblies are exposed to during the wash and rinse process of inline cleaning. Technical Paper

Technical Papers ■ Evaluation of Techniques for Intentional Contamination of PWB Substrates for Quantitative Cleanliness Analyses ■ Scaling SMT Traceability ■ The Drawbacks of Internal Recycling Systems for Solder Dross ■ Engineering ESD-Safe PCB Assembly for High-Reliability IoT and Industrial Electronics ■ The Analysis of Variance: Drawing Conclusions from Data That Are Correct, Unambiguous, and Defensible ■ PCB Rework Evolves, With X-ray a Constant Support ■ How pH Cleaning Agents Affect Production Performance ■ A Universal AI-Powered Segmentation Model for PCBA & Semiconductor ■ RAIG Minimizes Corrosion, Allows Higher Gold on ENEPIG ■ High Reliability Lead-Free Solder Paste with Rosin and Anti-Crack Resin MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

Sponsor Simply Double the Production Volume SEHO SelectLine features the award-winning Synchro and SmartSplit production modes that allow to halve cycle times in batch production and mixed operation. Find out more. SEHO Systems GmbH

Hon Hai profits hit NT$49.92bn Hon Hai Precision Industry Co posted stronger-than-expected Q1 results as AI hardware demand surged. Net profit rose 19% to NT$49.92 billion, revenue climbed 29% to NT$2.12 trillion, and the company expects continued growth in AI server and related shipments. Taipei Times

Trump-Xi meet seeks stability: experts US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing and pursued strategic stability over a grand bargain, focusing on communication channels for trade and military issues, while Xi issued a sharper warning on Taiwan amid limited concessions. Taipei Times

Limits for HASL with Complex Products What are the limits for the future with more complex products? HASL and the actual HASL process, hot air solder leveling, has been with us since the mid-70s. Board Talk

Sponsor Handheld Plasma Activation Plug it in and start cleaning; no gas hookup! Versatile all-in-one solution you can take anywhere and activate almost anything in seconds! Learn more. Plasma Etch

TSMC expects global chip revenue to hit US$1.5tn TSMC projects global semiconductor revenue will reach $1.5 trillion by 2030 as AI drives demand, with inference becoming the main growth engine. The company expands advanced 2nm production and CoWoS packaging to meet surging AI chip needs. Taipei Times

US, Chinese presidents discuss business ties US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing for closed-door talks on trade, Iran conflict, and broader cooperation, pledging improved relations and continued economic dialogue while seeking stability amid global tensions. Taipei Times

Copper Electrodeposition By Hydrogen Evolution Assisted Electroplacing A technique called hydrogen evolution assisted electroplating, has shown enhancement to the deposition rate of copper compared to galvanostatic conventional electroplating methods. Technical Paper

Sponsor EZ-FLO High Precision Dispense Tips Each needle is machined from solid stainless steel as opposed to rolled tubing. The resulting smoother internal profile enhances material flow and consistency. Learn more. DL Technology

When Encryption Meets Quantum Quantum computing threatens modern cryptography by breaking RSA and ECC, exposing today’s encrypted data. Adversaries already store data for future decryption. Engineers must adopt post-quantum, crypto-agile designs using NIST standards and hardware-secured, updatable systems to ensure long-term security. EE Times

Tech Sector Layoffs Are Rampant — But These Senior-Level Jobs Are Still Safe From AI Tech firms including Meta, Coinbase and Block are cutting thousands of jobs especially entry-level roles as AI handles basic coding while companies now hire mid- and senior engineers with AI skills to build, manage and integrate AI systems. Entrepreneur

Sponsor Automation in Transition The world of automation is changing. What does this mean for customers? And what impact is the transformation having on providers? Find out more from a panel of experts. SCHUNK

Xi tells Musk, Tim Cook and other CEOs on Trump’s trip: China will ‘open wider’ Xi Jinping told visiting American CEOs accompanying Donald Trump that China will open its market wider and welcomes deeper cooperation, as US and Chinese firms discuss trade and AI collaboration amid ongoing chip restrictions and technology competition. CNBC

Value-Driven CFX Case Studies Supporting Smart Manufacturing In this paper, two diverse examples are discussed, illustrating how the adoption of the Connected Factory Exchange (CFX) standard is changing manufacturing. Technical Paper

Anthropic says more than 90% of its code is now written by AI Anthropic says Claude now writes more than 90% of its code, outpacing rivals like Google and Microsoft in the race for AI-generated software. Executives across tech increasingly tout AI coding gains despite mounting concerns over layoffs and workforce reductions tied to automation. TechSpot

We Tested 33 New Phones to See Which Charge Fastest and Crown 2 Winners CNET’s testing of 33 smartphones found major gains in wired and wireless charging speeds, driven by technologies like Qi2 and silicon-carbon batteries. Despite varying battery designs and capacities, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and iPhone 17 Pro emerged as the fastest-charging phones. CNET

Sponsor Maintenance: The Basics of Cleaning Series Part 4 This is the final paper in a series and discusses some of the common mistakes in maintenance cleaning applications found in electronic assembly operations. KYZEN

Accelerating Chipmaking Innovation for the Energy-Efficient AI Era The AI era is forcing the semiconductor industry to replace siloed innovation with tightly integrated collaboration, as angstrom-scale chip design links compute, memory, packaging, and thermals. Applied Materials says faster AI progress now depends on shared infrastructure, compressed feedback loops, and coordinated long-term R&D. IEEE Spectrum