July 17, 2026

India Adds Pieces to Strengthen Its Electronics Supply Chain Puzzle India is boosting investments in semiconductor packaging, PCBs, components and advanced materials to strengthen electronics chain. With domestic value addition at 18–20%, the country aims to cut imports and build integrated manufacturing ecosystem. EE Times

Sponsor The "Fried Egg" Effect in Soldering Burnt-on flux residue that is visible on the solder mask of PCBs after improper reflow settings produces significant challenges to the reliability of finished boards. KYZEN

Changing Perceptions. Creating Opportunity. A JFF Horizons film challenges outdated views of electronics manufacturing, showing how awareness, education, and career pathways connect future workers to opportunities in a field powering AI, healthcare, space, and technologies shaping life. Global Electronics Association

The Economics of Electronic Component Salvage and Reuse This paper explores the feasibility and benefits of salvaging and reconditioning the leads and pads of electronic components, focusing on high-value components such as microprocessors, microcontrollers, and artificial intelligence chips. Technical Paper

15 AI Tools That Are Actually Saving Businesses Time Businesses are deploying AI tools that automate repetitive tasks and deliver measurable productivity gains. A roundup of 15 solutions shows how automation helps companies reclaim time, streamline workflows and reduce administrative work. Entrepreneur

Sponsor Refurbished and Demo X-ray Inspection Systems 2024 Demo JewelBox-70T X-ray System and 2024 Demo JewelBox-100T X-ray System Refurbished & Demo Systems on sale with warranty. Learn more. Glenbrook Technologies

How to Make an Invisible Drone Northwestern researchers unveiled Phantom Twist, a spinning microdrone that uses computational design and visual limits to become harder to detect. The prototype could advance wildlife monitoring, stealth uses, and 360-degree onboard sensing. IEEE Spectrum

Improving Reliability of High Performing PCB With Advanced Conformal Coating Use The paper discusses a newly developed conformal coating system that meets the high performance, reliability and cycle time demand based on the hybrid polymer approach. Technical Paper

Technical Papers ■ Flux-Free, Reliable, Efficient: Soldering with Formic Acid ■ Redesigning Material Logistics for High-Mix EMS Production ■ Unlocking Academic-Industry Synergy: A Collaborative Model for Hands-On Electronics Manufacturing Education ■ Viscosity Does Not Equal Rheology: What Solder Paste Measurements Really Tell You ■ Salvaging Electronic Components: A Reliable Method for Reducing Electronic Waste and Ensuring Economic Reuse ■ Digital Warehouse Automation in High-Mix PCB Assembly ■ 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 MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

Sponsor What are your economic depaneling needs? Our depaneling machines are high-performance machines for single circuit boards with electronic components. The cutting principles are fast, the best quality. SCHUNK

AI Data Centers Push Silicon Photonics Toward 300-mm Scale STMicroelectronics is expanding its 300-mm PIC100 silicon photonics platform to meet AI data center demand, combining advanced packaging, BiCMOS integration and high-volume manufacturing to deliver faster, more efficient optical interconnects. EE Times

George Lucas says rejecting AI is like choosing the horse and buggy over cars George Lucas backs generative AI as filmmaking's future, arguing its benefits outweigh risks. He compares critics to horse-and-buggy supporters, while acknowledging concerns over jobs, consent and creativity as Hollywood debates AI's impact. TechSpot

Fine Pitch CU Pillar with Bond on Lead Assembly Challenges A technology featuring Copper Pillar Bond-On-Lead (BOL) with Enhanced processes delivers cost effective, high performance packaging solution. Technical Paper

Sponsor Affordable Profiling Excellence Four channels of precision data capture from the most trusted name in thermal profiling. New and improved V-M.O.L.E.™ 2 is the ideal solution for budget-conscious electronics pros. Learn more here. ECD

Nvidia unveils new AI model and expands Japan's physical AI ecosystem Nvidia launched Cosmos 3 Edge AI for robots and vision agents while expanding Japan partnerships with industrial, healthcare and pharma companies. The company targets smarter manufacturing, robotics and AI-driven drug discovery with models. CNBC

Gartner Identifies the Companies to Beat in the AI Semiconductor Vendor Race Gartner names NVIDIA, AMD, Broadcom, Marvell and Infineon as AI semiconductor leaders driving next-gen AI infrastructure. Rising inference demand, open standards, hyperscaler moves and new rivals are reshaping competition across AI chip markets. Gartner

Interconnect Mechanical Performance with Variable UBM and Decreasing Bump Size Current work seeks to better understand how the indium (In) bump size affects the respective interface kinetics and subsequent mechanical properties. Technical Paper

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 to invest additional $100 billion in Arizona after second-quarter profit soars 77% TSMC reported a record 77.4% rise in second-quarter profit, driven by robust AI chip demand. The company raised its 2026 capital spending plan, expanded its Arizona investment to $265 billion, and forecast strong third-quarter revenue as advanced chips fueled continued growth. CNBC

Memory and CPU supply gaps threaten server shipments in 3Q26 Inventec warns component shortages once limited to PCs and smartphones are spreading to servers. It expects supply gaps to widen from Q3 2026, disrupting server motherboard shipments as tighter supply chains create new industry-wide challenges. Digitimes

Sponsor Defluxing Ultra-Fine Pitch CoW Devices? Read This. DI water falls short on copper pillar packages. Get proven cleaning parameters for CoW devices with <25μm pitch in our white paper. ZESTRON Americas

Foxconn shows Model A and Model B EVs in Japan through CDMS push Foxconn showcased its Model A and Model B electric vehicles at the Japan Taiwan Expo in Tokyo, marking their 2026 Japan debut and strengthening its push into the country's growing EV market while seeking partnerships with Japanese automakers. Digitimes

No-Clean Residue Shorts We have a PCBA with a QFN 44 using no-clean flux. We have many test failures during testing. Are the failures due to flux reside between terminations? Jim Hall and Phil Zarrow, The Assembly Brothers, answer this question. Board Talk

The First Chatbot's Multiple Personalities Researchers who uncovered ELIZA's original source code found the pioneering chatbot was far more sophisticated than previously believed. The discovery reveals its flexible multi-persona architecture, and lasting influence on AI, software design, and human-computer interaction. IEEE Spectrum

Why Europe is suddenly betting big on drones Europe boosts drone investments as NATO, the U.K., and Germany embrace autonomous warfare after Ukraine. Defense spending fuels demand for AI, secure communications, electronic warfare, and software, making drones key to future military strategies. CNBC

Sponsor Introducing our new Board to Board Connectors These new Board to Board Connectors feature pitch sizes from 0.50 mm to 1.00 mm with multi-pitch and custom pitch designs available. Designed for long-life applications and robust handling. Advanced Interconnections Corp

What Is The 1-2-10 Rule For Screens? The ergonomic 1-2-10 rule recommends keeping phones one foot away, monitors two feet away, and TVs 10 feet away to reduce eye strain. Experts advise combining it with the 20-20-20 rule while adjusting distance, posture, and lighting for different devices. BGR