May 18, 2026

Cerebras IPO Revives AI Chip Startup Fever Cerebras surged onto NASDAQ with a $5.5 billion IPO that valued the AI chipmaker at $66 billion, as investors backed rivals to Nvidia. Demand for AI inference, OpenAI ties, and wafer-scale chips outweighed stiff competition and technical risks. EE Times

Sponsor 1 of 10 Applications: Eutectic Bonding Swiss made Tresky die bonders can be fitted with temperature controlled chucks and protective gas suited to eutectic die bonding of chips with AuSn bumps for opto-electronic components. Dr. Tresky AG

Chip Industry Week in Review US approved Nvidia H200 chip sales path to 10 Chinese firms but no shipments yet, while industry groups seek CHIPS tax credit extension. TSMC projects $1.5T IC revenue by 2030, and firms expand AI photonics and semiconductor partnerships globally. Semiconductor Engineering

RAIG Minimizes Corrosion, Allows Higher Gold on ENEPIG Paper describes a mixed reaction RAIG electrolyte that minimizes galvanic corrosion and allows higher ENEPIG gold thicknesses, enabling robust designs and world-class quality on target with minimal variation. Technical Paper

Sponsor Electromigration Performance Of Fine-Line Cu RDL For HDFO Packaging A study on HDFO packages uncovers copper RDL reliability, highlighting failure modes, resistance shifts, and critical current capacity. Read more. Amkor Technology, Inc.

EDA's AI Revolution Meets Its Real-World Constraints AI is reshaping electronic design automation, but chip firms will win only by unifying fragmented data, navigating compliance rules, and building persistent knowledge systems that let AI agents collaborate, learn, and improve design workflows. EE Times

ASML to partner with India's Tata Electronics ASML Holding partnered with Tata Electronics to support India's chipmaking ambitions, supplying technology for Tata’s Gujarat semiconductor fab while expanding talent training, supply chains, and research infrastructure alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Europe visit. Taipei Times

Sponsor LAPLACE® LAR 600A Saves Energy Fast 4-8s reflow, massive energy savings, and 90 × 90 mm² precision scanning make LAPLACE® LAR 600A the ultimate choice for sustainable reflow processes. PacTech

Technical Papers Automated X-Ray Metrology: Enhancing Quality and Efficiency in Wafer and Panel-Level Applications 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 MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

Sponsor Rapid Package Seam Seal Changeover The Robotic Cover Sealer (RCS) enables rapid assembly changeover on < 5 minutes from a 3 x 3 mm to 50 x 70 mm package. Package tooling may be adjustable or tool less. MicroCircuit Laboratories, LLC

Cerebras' blockbuster IPO boosts hype for SpaceX and OpenAI, but crowds out smaller players Cerebras Systems' blockbuster IPO highlighted surging demand for AI stocks while underscoring how hard it is for non-AI startups to win Wall Street attention. As SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic prepare IPOs smaller tech listings risk being drowned out. CNBC

Applied Materials' revenue forecast rises on AI demand Applied Materials forecasted stronger quarterly sales and profits as surging AI and memory-chip demand boosted equipment orders. The company expanded capacity, lifted margins to 25-year highs, and expects AI-driven semiconductor growth to continue for years. Taipei Times

Sponsor AIT ORMET® TLPS for Component Attach AIT ORMET®TLPS is proven for outstanding reliability for component attaches and MLCC build-up for high temperature applications beyond 175ºC Ormet® TLPS

'Panic' over capacity crunch in mature node chips drives orders to Chinese foundries AI demand is driving chip buyers toward Chinese foundries as global rivals prioritize advanced AI processors and memory. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation warned tightening mature-node capacity is accelerating customer migration to mainland China. South China Morning Post

Automakers Face Memory Shock as AI Uses Up Semiconductor Supply In 2026, automakers face a DRAM and NAND shortage as AI data centers absorb supply from Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, forcing supply chain restructuring, slowing autonomous vehicle rollouts, and reshaping infotainment strategies across luxury and mass-market segments. EE Times

Sponsor Temporary Bonding Materials Boost throughput and quality with Brewer Science's BrewerBOND® VersaLayer temporary bonding system for high-temperature (400˚C) and high-stress applications. Brewer Science

Gates Add Functionality, But Wires Create Problems Advanced semiconductor nodes shift performance limits from transistors to interconnects, as shrinking wires raise resistance, capacitance, delay, and power use. Designers now rethink routing, materials, and 3D integration to reduce wire bottlenecks. Semiconductor Engineering

Nvidia hits new peak, market cap crosses $5.6 trillion after report on US nod for H200 chip sales to China Nvidia extends its rally for a seventh straight session, climbing 5% to a record $236.47 after reports that the US approved H200 chip sales to select Chinese firms including Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance and JD.com, though no transactions have occurred yet. Live Mint

Sponsor Electrically Insulating, Toughened Epoxy Master Bond Supreme 3HTND-2CCM is a rapid curing, toughened epoxy system that transfers heat effectively and can be used for bonding, sealing, coating, potting and glob topping. Master Bond

Why real-time supply chain visibility is critical in semiconductors AI-driven demand is accelerating semiconductor revenue toward $1.3 by 2026, but companies lack real-time visibility into supply, pricing, and lifecycle risks, exposing them to shortages, price spikes, geopolitical disruptions, and growing supply chain fragmentation globally intensifying. Sourceability

Sponsor Plasma as a Key Technology Plasma technology improves electronics manufacturing, reduces oxide layers, prevents delamination & enables environmentally friendly products by using Openair-Plasma ® & PlasmaPlus®. Plasmatreat GmbH