March 2, 2026

Smartphone Market to Decline 13% Due to the Memory Shortage Crisis International Data Corporation warns global smartphone shipments will plunge 12.9% in 2026 to 1.12 billion, the lowest in over a decade, as a memory crisis drives up costs. Low-end Android vendors face heavy losses, while Apple & Samsung gain share amid rising prices & consolidation. IDC

Sponsor The Next Step in Surface Prep! All-new Ontos Clean Atmospheric Plasma System. Create pristine, atomically-controlled, activated surfaces without a vacuum chamber. Ontos Equipment Systems

VIEWPOINT 2026: Sanjeev Aggarwal, CEO, Everspin Technologies As we head into 2026, memory decisions are becoming less about lowest cost per bit and more about how systems actually behave in the real world. Power, reliability, and speed now drive many of those decisions, especially as edge AI, industrial automation, and aerospace applications continue to scale. We are seeing ... Everspin Technologies

Die-on-Tab for Compound Semiconductors: Enabling Advanced RF Power Systems This white paper explains why die-on-tab is critical for GaN and GaAs RF power devices, improving heat dissipation, reliability, and system life. Download now. Technical Paper

Sponsor Ultra-Thin Wafer Handling Achieve ≤ 10 µm device thinning with Brewer Science’s BrewerBOND® VersaLayer system: a thermoplastic layer coats device features, while a low-stress adhesive bonds them. Brewer Science

Chip Industry Week In Review Rapidus raised $1.7B to accelerate 2nm production, while AI leaders secured massive funding: OpenAI $110B, SambaNova $350M, Axelera $250M, and MatX $500M. Memory, EUV, and semiconductor innovations from SK hynix, ASML, IBM & Fujifilm aim to meet soaring AI demand. Semiconductor Engineering

Quantum hailed as next top industry Taiwan is positioning itself as a global leader in quantum computing, leveraging its complete semiconductor and IT supply chains. Academia Sinica's 20-qubit superconducting chip marks a key step toward scalable quantum systems, potentially creating a NT$1 trillion industry. Taipei Times

Sponsor Current Characterization of Various Cu RDL Designs In WLP This study evaluates copper redistribution layer fusing currents in WLP through experiments and simulations, finding that silicon thickness significantly improves heat dissipation and fusing performance. Amkor Technology

Technical Papers Alpha Particle Emissions: An Overlooked Risk for Soft Errors in Advanced Packaging Revolutionizing IC Packaging with High-Density RDL Technology EOTPR Fine pitch probing for die-to-die interconnect failure analysis in chiplet devices Die-on-Tab for Compound Semiconductors: Enabling Advanced RF Power Systems Package Assembly Design Kits: The Future of Advanced Package Design Novel Molded FCBGA Package Platform For Highly Reliable Automotive Applications Eliminating Interfacial Delamination in High-Power Automotive Devices MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

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

Only 1nm, Record-Low Power Consumption: Peking University Team Achieves Chip Breakthrough Peking University researchers led by Qiu Chenguang and Peng Lianmao unveiled a 1-nm nanogate ferroelectric transistor that runs at 0.6V and just 0.45 fJ/μm. Reported in Science Advances, the breakthrough could power faster, ultra-efficient next-gen AI chips. TrendForce

Taiwan's Tech Industry Taiwan is strengthening its global tech leadership, advancing semiconductor manufacturing, power electronics, embedded systems and AI. Powered by TSMC, MediaTek, startups and state backing, it unites chips and platforms despite talent, resource and geopolitical strains. EE Times

Sponsor Die-on-Tab for Compound Semiconductors This white paper explains why die-on-tab is critical for GaN and GaAs RF power devices, improving heat dissipation, reliability, and system life. Download now. StratEdge Corporation

New ASML machines are ready for manufacturers ASML Holding has declared its next-generation High-NA EUV chipmaking machines ready for high-volume production. These advanced $400 million tools simplify complex processes, boost AI chip efficiency, and enable manufacturers like TSMC and Intel to meet rising AI demand. Taipei Times

From AI's Origins to Smart Devices: Selecting the Right Devices for Smart Deployment AI has progressed from 1950s rule-based systems to cloud-driven intelligence, but latency, privacy and connectivity gaps spurred Edge and Endpoint AI. Devices now compute locally, delivering real-time, secure, energy-efficient decisions for industrial, healthcare and IoT uses. EE Times

Sponsor Real-Time Metrology Solutions Our systems uses unique Shadow Moiré vision measurement technology for flat surfaces and uses add-on Digital Fringe Projection and Digital Image Correlation technologies. Akrometrix

Smartphone market poised for 'sharpest decline on record' in 2026 Analysts warn the global smartphone market faces its sharpest decline in history in 2026, with shipments falling 12% due to soaring memory prices. AI-driven chip demand prioritizes hyperscalers, forcing higher costs, longer replacement cycles & a surge in the secondary market. CNBC

MWC 2026: Telecom High-Stakes Bet on the 'IQ Era' At the 20th Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, telecom leaders pivot from hardware to AI-driven networks. Nvidia, Intel, Qualcomm, Ericsson and Nokia unveil 6G, energy-smart data centers and generative AI plans, reshaping connectivity and chip design. EE Times

Sponsor "Build Up" I/C Packages -- USA Fabrication High layer counts. Low CTE material sets. 20µm Dielectrics /12µm Traces - ITAR Approved - 50um "Stay Flat" Cores. Learn more. Advanced Component Labs, Inc.

Moore Threads' flagship AI chip compatible with Alibaba models in tech self-reliance push Moore Threads Technology has made its MTT S5000 GPU fully compatible with Alibaba Cloud's Qwen 3.5 AI models, advancing China's tech self-reliance. The move accelerates domestic AI development, easing transitions from Nvidia's CUDA and boosting local chip adoption. South China Morning Post

Sponsor Advanced Packaging and Electronic Assembly Cleaning Fluid Innovation This paper will present aqueous cleaning technology innovations to address the challenges of cleaning highly dense electronic hardware. Read more. KYZEN