March 16, 2026

MSI Says PC Shipments Expected to Fall up to 20% Micro-Star International (MSI) warns global PC shipments could fall up to 20% this year due to surging memory and GPU prices. Despite tight supply, MSI boosts inventory, raises retail prices, and shifts focus to AI servers, targeting strong revenue growth. Taipei Times

Sponsor A Lifespan of Reliability Nordson Electronics Solutions makes reliable electronics an everyday reality. Selective soldering, dispensing, coating, and plasma solutions. Nordson Electronics Solutions

What Happens To Your Batteries When You Recycle Them? Batteries eventually lose energy or storage efficiency, but recycling and repurposing programs prevent hazardous waste and recover valuable materials. Processes reuse components or convert them into new batteries, keeping costs down and the environment safe. BGR

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

Survey finds Americans worry about AI data centers, but still want the jobs A recent survey of 8,512 U.S. adults shows mixed views on AI data centers: most see negative environmental and energy impacts, yet many acknowledge benefits for jobs and taxes. Tech giants promise to cover energy costs, but concerns over water use persist. TechSpot

Sponsor Tech Paper - The Economics of Electronic Component Salvage and Reuse This paper examines the economic and environmental benefits of salvaging and reusing high-value electronic components. Circuit Technology Center

Uber ex-CEO Kalanick rebrands latest venture Atoms, expands into mining and transport Travis Kalanick, Uber's co-founder and ex-CEO, rebranded his venture as Atoms, expanding beyond food into mining and transportation. The stealth company, with thousands of employees, develops specialized robots aimed at boosting productivity across industries. CNBC

Microstructural Evolution During Electromigration in Eutectic Tin-Bismuth BTC Solder Joints The subject of this follow-up paper is the microstructural evolution of BTC eutectic Sn-Bi solder joints during electromigration. The growth of intermetallic phases at the solder-substrate interfaces and the extent of bismuth electromigration were measured as a function of temperature, current density and time in a bid. Technical Paper

Technical Papers ■ 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 ■ Understanding Solder Dross: Causes and Control Strategies MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

Sponsor Our Solutions Discover Essegi Automation's modular solutions: flexible hardware and software seamlessly integrated into SMT and THT environments. Essegi Automation

IBM, Lam Research Focus High-NA EUV on Sub-1-nm Nodes IBM and Lam Research have launched a five-year collaboration to develop sub-1-nm chips using High-NA EUV lithography. The partnership focuses on new materials, processes, and patterning to accelerate next-generation AI chip performance and yield. EE Times

Nvidia may soon unveil a brand-new AI chip. A closer look at the $20 billion bet to make it happen On Christmas Eve, Nvidia shook the AI chip market, investing $20 billion to license Groq's technology and recruit top talent, including its CEO, who helped Google build a leading alternative to Nvidia's AI processors. CNBC

De-Ionized Water Affected By the Atmosphere Resistivity readers of the de-ionized water are above 15 megohms. Resistivity results of the samples tested by the outside lab have been approximately 1 megohm. Board Talk

Sponsor Dedicated Tool for Process Development Advanced plating capability at Uyemura Tech Center: Process Development, UBM, pilot production. ENIG, ENEPIG, EPIG/EPAG, RAIG immersion gold; all substrates. On-site analysis. Uyemura

Taiwan's Manufacturing growth hits five months Taiwan's manufacturing sector surged for a fifth straight month, with the PMI hitting 58.5—the fastest pace since March 2022—driven by strong AI-related demand. Rising raw material costs and Middle East tensions pose challenges, yet business optimism remains high. Taipei Times

TSMC nets nearly 70% of 2025 foundry market Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) captured nearly 70% of the global foundry market in 2025, as AI demand soared. Revenue surged 36% to US$122.5 billion, leaving distant rival Samsung at just 7.2% market share, TrendForce reported. Taipei Times

Solder Ball Joint Reliability with Electroless NI-PD-AU Planting The influence of Pd film thickness in electroless Ni/Pd/Au plating on the solder ball joint reliability after reflow cycles and thermal aging was investigated. Technical Paper

Sponsor Wave Soldering Processes Rethought As a pioneer in the development of automated soldering technologies, SEHO is setting global standards today more than ever with outstanding features. Find out more. SEHO Systems GmbH

Wistron says revenue to grow on AI server demand Wistron Corp expects high double-digit annual revenue growth, fueled by surging AI server demand and data center expansions. Q4 profit jumped 54% year-on-year. The company plans major AI capacity investments in Taiwan and the U.S., targeting strong ongoing momentum. Taipei Times

AI agents could easily send college grad unemployment over 30%, ServiceNow CEO says AI adoption is reshaping the job market, hitting entry-level workers hardest. ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott warns unemployment for new graduates could surge into the mid-30s as companies like Block, Atlassian, and Amazon cut staff while boosting productivity with AI. CNBC

Sponsor Rework/Removal of Underfilled Parts AVX250/1000M High precision milling with zero adjacent clearance. Auto laser height measurement of board and component. Learn more. Air-Vac Engineering

MacBook Neo Is the Most Repairable MacBook in 14 Years MacBook Neo shows Apple can balance affordability and repairability. iFixit praises its screwed-in battery tray, modular ports, and accessible layout, earning a 6/10 repair score—though soldered RAM/storage and weaker speakers remain key compromises. iFixIt

Accuracy Validation Finds Hidden Problems Affecting DPMO This paper discusses individual process step validation methods with real examples of improvement that contribute to defect per million opportunities (DPMO) reduction. Technical Paper

MWC 2026 Concludes as Telcos Pivot to AI The 2026 Mobile World Congress highlighted telecom's shift from hardware to AI-driven networks. Industry leaders debated GPU versus CPU architectures for edge AI, showcased robotics and 6G visions & emphasized energy-efficient, software-defined networks shaping the next decade. EE Times

Who is really footing the AI energy bill? Inside the debate about data center electricity costs Communities across the U.S. are pushing back against AI data centers amid rising electricity costs. A SemiAnalysis report says policy design and grid pricing mechanisms are major drivers of surging power bills, prompting political and industry responses. CNBC

Sponsor EPA Verified Stencil Cleaning Systems Low power density ultrasonic cleaners combined with 440-R-SMT detergent provide safe and effective cleaning of stencils, pallets, oven radiators, misprints and SMD adhesives. Smart Sonic

Why becoming a product nation is critical for India’s electronics ambitions At the ET Electronics & Semicon Manufacturing Summit 2026 in Bengaluru, industry leaders urged India to move beyond manufacturing scale and become a product-driven electronics nation. Executives stressed integrating design, manufacturing, and component ecosystems. The Economic Times