Oct 22, 2026 The return of the CPU AI agents are driving renewed demand for server CPUs as they execute code, access databases and manage tasks. AMD, Nvidia and others are expanding offerings, but rising prices, specialized workloads and system control complicate market forecasts. Asia Times

Sponsor OntosIS Atmospheric Plasma System The ONTOS Plasma Head is available for integration into third party equipment. The Plasma Curtain is available in several widths to enable optimization of the gas consumption on smaller devices. Ontos Equipment Systems

Building America's Capacity to Innovate Intel is expanding U.S. semiconductor manufacturing with new facilities in Arizona and Ohio, building on advanced research in Oregon, New Mexico and California. Its investments strengthen domestic supply chains, create jobs and advance America's technological leadership. 3D InCites

Bond front velocity in lubrication-mediated bonding of flexible substrates Robust theoretical model explaining bondwave velocity in direct wafer/die bonding and explaining why it accelerates. First model with predictive power to show realistic and observed values. 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

Donovan's Deep Dives: TSMC's record-breaking investments are transforming Arizona Taiwan opened its 14th de facto U.S. consulate in Phoenix despite Chinese opposition, as TSMC's investment draws suppliers, creates jobs and expands Arizona's Taiwanese community, strengthening economic ties and cultural exchanges across the American Southwest. Taipei Times

Nvidia CEO pitches modular data centers to boost Europe's lagging AI sector Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang urged Europe to accelerate AI development by expanding computing capacity. He unveiled modular data centers deployable within days, promoted OpenShell software to improve AI safety and highlighted investments in Europe’s growing AI ecosystem. Taipei Times

Sponsor IR Layer Release Technology for 3D Packaging and Logic Scaling Ultra-thin layer transfer from silicon carriers with nanometer precision using an IR laser and inorganic release layers revolutionizes 3D packaging & logic scaling. EV Group

Technical Papers ■ Selective Alkaline Wet Etching of Al and AlCu Using a Phosphoric and Nitric Acid Free Formulation ■ Hybrid & Fusion Bonding: from Heterogeneous Integration to 3D Front-End of Line Technologies ■ Why Metal TIM Warpage Simulations Fail—and How to Fix Them ■ Oxide Reduction for Reliable Power Electronics Manufacturing ■ Bond front velocity in lubrication-mediated bonding of flexible substrates ■ How AI Could Cut Semiconductor Package Design Cycles from Months to Days ■ 5X Faster Die Sorting Accelerates U.S. Semiconductor Manufacturing MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

Sponsor Corner fill inspection A memory manufacturer adopted Nordson's AOI system with deep learning to inspect IC corner fill, ensuring accurate detection, measurement, and improved reliability in semiconductor assembly. Nordson Test & Inspection

Semiconductor industry's electricity use hits record Taiwan's semiconductor electricity use topped 4.5 TWh for the first time, climbing 11.55% year-on-year as AI demand drives chip production. The Taiwan Research Institute forecasts annual consumption will exceed 50 TWh amid supply chain investments. Taipei Times

Intel hits construction milestone at Ohio chip fab that's at least 5 years behind schedule Intel has installed the first major structural truss at its delayed Ohio chip fabrication plant, advancing construction toward a 2030 completion. However, securing major external customers remains critical as demand for advanced AI chips surges. CNBC

Sponsor Magazine loader to test lead frames Hands-free automatic bond testing with a Sigma MAG magazine handler. Optional with SEMI S2 safety cabinet and/or loadport for top and front-loading (OHT and AGV). xyztec

India's OSAT Buildout Puts Semiconductor Testing in Focus India's five operational semiconductor plants face growing testing demands as production scales. OSAT companies need flexible test systems, AI-assisted development, and skilled engineers to handle complex chips, maintain test coverage, and meet manufacturing targets. EE Times

Why Chip Design AI Benchmarks Must Go Beyond Functional Correctness ChipAgents and NVIDIA launched Build-A-Chip-Bench to assess AI agents across the chip design process, from specifications to physical implementation. Tests show promise but reveal ongoing challenges in ensuring correctness, optimizing performance and meeting power constraints. EE Times

Sponsor What do 81.3 % of automotive chip specialists agree on? That high-performance packaging materials are essential for reliability. The Research Report from Henkel Adhesive Technologies puts a number on what the industry feels. Henkel AG & Co.

Edge AI MCU Features Multimodal Compute, Tiered Memory Synaptics unveiled its SR200 series, a new class of microcontrollers combining heterogeneous computing, up to 400 GOPS AI acceleration, and 256 MB memory. The chips enable low-power, multimodal edge AI applications, including wearables, cameras, and industrial systems. EE Times

Scaling CPO Testing Beyond A Single Die President Trump announced a $1.5 billion Pentagon investment to expand semiconductor production in North Carolina and unveiled Sibelco's planned quartz plant, advancing efforts to reshore chip manufacturing and reduce reliance on Taiwan. Semiconductor Engineering

Sponsor 1 of 10 Applications: RFID Swiss made Tresky die bonders provide hassle-free bonding of flip chip circuits to flexible antenna substrates with highest flexibility and operator training within minutes. Dr. Tresky AG

Trump says Pentagon will invest $1.5B into North Carolina chip production President Trump announced a $1.5 billion Pentagon investment to expand semiconductor production in North Carolina. He also revealed Sibelco's plans for a quartz manufacturing plant, aiming to strengthen domestic chip supply chains and reduce reliance on Taiwan. The Hill

Sponsor LAB Flip Chip Reflow Process Robustness Prediction Predicting laser-assisted bonding (LAB) parameters and ideal solder temperature range for a black box substrate. Read more. Amkor Technology, Inc.

BASF to build new semiconductor manufacturing plant in Taiwan BASF is expanding its Taiwan site to boost advanced semiconductor materials production, improve quality analysis and grow its Innovation Center. The investment targets rising sub-2-nanometer chip demand while strengthening supply chain resilience and customer proximity. Indian Chemical News