European semiconductors get a boost
The semiconductor shortage is not going away anytime soon – at least according to a recent study by IPC (page 12). As one of the regions hit hardest by the scarcity, the EU has, unsurprisingly, announced plans to boost its microchip research and manufacturing (page 6). Fitting, too, that one of the bloc‘s leading semiconductor producers has just opened a new high-tech chip factory in Austria (page 10).
Inspecting advanced packaging
It is crucial that inspection and quality assurance methods keep up with the demands of more complex packages. Our cover story reveals how one provider of 3D measurement-based inspection equipment has developed a range of new systems which, it says, drastically minimize the number of unidentified defects (page 16).
Four heads are better than one
With consumers demanding ever more lightweight devices, manufacturers are always looking for new ways to create more compact electronic circuits. Could teamwork help the industry achieve this faster? The article on page 26 reveals how four companies worked together to develop an efficient method of solder paste printing in the cavities of LED leadframes.
Productronica 2021
The industry has welcomed the news that the world’s leading international trade fair for electronics development and production will be able to take place as planned from 16 to 19 November in Munich, Germany (page 14). EPP Europe will of course be there – why not drop by at Stand 281 in Hall 2, to say ‘Servus’!
Visit our website (epp-europe.eu) to stay up to date with industry news and trends.
See you in Munich!
