August 18, 2026

Samsung, SK hynix 1H26 Chip Facility Investment Up 35%; NVIDIA Not Among Samsung’s Top Five Customers Samsung and SK hynix raised semiconductor investment 35.1% to KRW 43.2 trillion in 1H26 as AI demand pushed fabs to full capacity. Both boosted R&D and expanded HBM, DRAM and eSSD capacity, while customer mixes broadened further beyond NVIDIA. TrendForce

Sponsor High Force and Large area bond tester The most powerful bond tester to test IGBTs, power modules and large batteries up to 1000 kgf. Sigma HF/L offers flexible positioning and operates with the fastest axis speed. Learn more. xyztec

Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) at Scale: Silicon Photonics, Automation, and Standards for the AI Era AI workloads are pushing copper interconnects to their limits, accelerating co-packaged optics. GF is advancing detachable fibers, wafer-level photonics, upstream testing, liquid cooling and open MSAs to enable scalable, high-volume CPO systems. SEMI

Current Characterization of Various Cu RDL Designs In Wafer Level Packages (WLP) This study evaluates copper redistribution layer fusing currents in wafer-level packaging through experiments and simulations, finding that silicon thickness significantly improves heat dissipation and fusing performance. Technical Paper

Sponsor Non-Contact Solder Jetting for Precision SB²® eliminates mechanical placement force, enabling stable solder balling for MEMS, fine-pitch, and advanced packaging applications. Explore the process. PacTech

Cheap Chinese AI tokens collide with deepening Sino-US bloc split Chinese AI firms appear cheaper on token prices, but analysts say enterprises often pay more because their models require additional tokens to complete tasks. Meanwhile, US-led and China-led AI alliances are deepening geopolitical divisions, pressuring countries to choose sides. Asia Times

Nvidia Bets on the Classical Side of Quantum Computing Nvidia is advancing hybrid quantum computing by supplying the classical infrastructure surrounding quantum processors. Its GPUs, software, interconnects, control systems help simulate circuits, process data, and integrate quantum systems with AI supercomputers. EE Times

Sponsor Die Attach Material Comparisons Packaging high-power GaN devices? This study compares CuW and CMC bases with H20E and AuSn, revealing 34.5°C cooler junctions with CMC/AuSn. Revolutionize GaN efficiency/reliability. StratEdge Corporation

Technical Papers 5X Faster Die Sorting Accelerates U.S. Semiconductor Manufacturing A New Optical Ball Grid Array Package Development for Automotive Optical Sensor 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 MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

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

Fluid-Side Observability Expands AI Hardware Reliability AI infrastructure reliability increasingly depends on liquid-cooling observability, not temperature alone. Engineers must correlate thermal, hydraulic, fluid-condition, and workload data to detect declining cooling margins early and compare performance against established baselines. EE Times

800VDC Pushes AI Power Design From Grid To Gate AI data centers are driving a shift toward 800VDC architectures as rising power demands make traditional 48V systems inefficient. Engineers are reducing conversion stages, heat and losses while upgrading safety systems and components to support megawatt-scale computing. Semiconductor Engineering

Sponsor No-Clean, Flip-Chip and Ball-Attach Flux Improve yields with NC-809, the industry leading, true no-clean, ultra-low residue, flip-chip and ball-attach flux suitable for many semiconductor applications. Indium Corporation

Precision Under Pressure: Rethinking Bond Reliability In High-Density Semiconductor Test Advanced bond testing safeguards interconnects as devices shrink and packaging grows complex. It measures bond strength, exposes weaknesses early, and helps manufacturers improve reliability in automotive, aerospace, industrial and consumer markets. Semiconductor Engineering

Copper's Grip On AI Scaling Is Starting To Slip Optical interconnects are reshaping AI data-center fabrics as copper reaches limits inside racks. Scale-up now extends across racks, with fiber enabling longer links while UALink preserves single-hop connectivity and memory semantics to reduce latency and improve GPU utilization. Semiconductor Engineering

Sponsor S-SWIFT™: Fan-Out. Substrate. Unified. Amkor's new S-SWIFT™ enables high-performance, cost-effective integration of multiple chiplets and memory. Amkor Technology

AI chipmaker Biren projects up to 22-fold revenue surge amid China's hi-tech boom Biren Technology expects first-half 2026 revenue to surge up to 2,107% year over year as GPU demand and commercialization accelerate. The forecast highlights China's chip growth, but intensifying competition could squeeze margins across the market. South China Morning Post

Intel at a Memory Crossroads, Again Intel is exploring new memory architectures as AI reshapes demand and shortages persist. CEO Lip-Bu Tan has highlighted stacked DRAM and advanced packaging, while initiatives such as XBM and ZAM could revive Intel’s memory ambitions. EE Times

Sponsor Two Component, Thermally Conductive Epoxy Master Bond EP21AOLV-1 is a thermally conductive, electrically isolating adhesive featuring a low CTE, excellent dimensional stability, and high compressive strength. Master Bond

Chip Industry Week In Review AI infrastructure is evolving as smaller models cut compute needs, while optical interconnects, chiplets and advanced cooling enable larger systems. Companies are pouring billions into chips, packaging, quantum computing and workforce development. Semiconductor Engineering

Sponsor Micro Dispensing Technology White Paper The trend toward micro-dispensing technology increases as electronic assembly's shrink & component packages decrease in size. DL Technology