3D InCites Podcast

Fifty years of Semicon Europa set a fitting backdrop for a conversation that feels both celebratory and unsentimental about the state of advanced packaging in Europe. We walk the floor in Munich and pull together a story that spans chemical metrology, panel plating, glass substrates, thermal materials, logistics resilience, and the push from R&D to production—plus a heartfelt goodbye. Dena Mit...

Europe’s chip future is being built in real time, and the view from Munich is electric. We sit down with IMEC’s leadership and ESMC’s founding CEO to unpack how pilot lines, a major Dresden fab, and the EU Chips Act are reshaping the continent’s strategy—from research to high-volume manufacturing. Along the way, we track the evolution of Semicon Europa over 50 years, from a supplier-centric expo t...

A crowded server board with ten thousand parts doesn’t forgive sloppy inspection—and neither do pricey GPUs and chiplets. From the floor of Productronica in Munich, we dig into how automated optical inspection keeps advanced packages honest once they hit the PCB line, where solder quality, coplanarity, and sheer component variety can make or break yield. Vidya Vijay from Nordson Test & Inspect...

Want a candid look at how women build durable careers in one of the world’s toughest industries? We sit down with three semiconductor leaders - Nitza Basoco, Anne Meixner and Julia Freer - who share how early encouragement, gritty problem solving, and clear communication turned curiosity into impact. From summer jobs at national labs and early days at IBM to leading operations, test, and sustainab...

Power electronics are quietly rewriting the rules of energy use—from the range of your EV to the efficiency of a hyperscale data center. Françoise sits down with Henkel’s Ram Trichur to unpack what’s driving the $67.5B surge in power semiconductors and why the move to wide bandgap materials like silicon carbide and gallium nitride is such a big deal.  We break down the real differences between log...

The floor in Phoenix was packed, and so were the ideas. We sat down with innovators across the stack—equipment makers, metrology experts, logistics strategists, and software leaders—to map the real state of advanced packaging and what it takes to build, measure, move, and power tomorrow’s chips. EV Group kicked things off with a candid look at die-to-wafer realities: activation on film frame, then...

A nationwide talent engine for chips is taking shape—and it’s built to scale. Recorded live at SEMICON West in Phoenix, we sit down with SEMI Foundation leaders to unpack the National Network for Microelectronics Education, a hub-and-node model designed to align schools, employers, and workforce systems. Backed by CHIPS Act funding through the National Science Foundation, NNME will fund multi-stat...

We recorded live at IMAPS with Siemens, ACM Research, Shellback Semiconductor, DECA, Nordson Electronic Solutions, and VIEW Micro Metrology to explore how AI demand, chiplets, and panels are reshaping advanced packaging. We dig into 3D BLOX, thermal and test roadblocks, green chemistries, metrology at scale, and why the back end now leads innovation. Listen to learn about: • The Siemens –ASE colla...

We record live at IMAPS to follow a first-time attendee’s leap into advanced packaging and a trio of high school students discovering semiconductors, robotics, and career paths that bridge disciplines. Along the way, we unpack speed-to-market, standards, hybrid vs TCB, and why AI skills matter. • why a self-funded first conference can reset a career • key takeaways from PDCs and technical talks •...

We sit down with Dr. Subu Iyer of UCLA to unpack chiplets vs dielets, why a universal ecosystem is missing, and how sub‑10 µm bump pitch could make protocols optional. Then we host a panel featuring John Knickerbocker, IBM ; Mike Kelly, Amkor; and Tolga Tekin , Fraunhofer IZM on co‑packaged optics, bandwidth, and power for AI data centers. • chiplet as design construct, dielet as physical die • la...

A semiconductor wafer travels around the globe five times on average before becoming the chip in your smartphone. Each journey represents a potential risk to device reliability that few consumers—or even industry professionals—ever consider. Behind every high-performing semiconductor device lies a carefully orchestrated logistics operation ensuring these sensitive components arrive intact and func...

SEMI's flagship event, SEMICON West, is moving to Phoenix, Arizona this October 7-9, 2025, after 35 years in San Francisco, coinciding with the region's semiconductor manufacturing boom and $200 billion in announced investments. In this episode, Françoise speaks with SEMI Americas president, Joe Stockunas, who shares reasons for the move and what attendees can expect to experience. This...

The IMAPS International Symposium returns to the Town & Country Resort in San Diego from September 29-October 2, 2024, featuring restructured technical tracks, new Monday panel discussions, and exciting networking events including a special reception aboard the USS Midway aircraft carrier. General Chair Benson Chan and outgoing IMAPS President Erica Folk share what attendees can expect at this...

X-ray technology reveals what the naked eye cannot see - the intricate world of semiconductor interconnects that power our digital lives. In this deep dive with Ben Peecock, Senior Director of Business Development at Nordson Test and Inspection, we uncover the critical differences between x-ray inspection and metrology that keep semiconductor manufacturing on track. With nearly three decades of ex...

Thailand is positioning itself as a new hotspot for semiconductor and microelectronics manufacturing, building on existing infrastructure and establishing key partnerships throughout the region. Managing editor Jillian McNichol shares insights from her recent trip to Thailand where she toured facilities and interviewed industry leaders about the country's ambitious plans. • Thailand has been...

The race toward more powerful AI carries a hidden cost that's becoming impossible to ignore: skyrocketing energy consumption. Did you know AI is projected to devour 10% of global electricity by 2030? This staggering figure has even forced tech giants to delay their sustainability goals. Enter ASE's Executive Vice President Yin Chang, who reveals how the world's largest semiconductor...

The 75th anniversary celebration of ECTC in Dallas showcases a remarkable evolution in advanced packaging technologies, revealing how semiconductor priorities have dramatically shifted. Rather than the relentless miniaturization of the smartphone era, today's AI-driven applications demand larger packages with more functionality and sophisticated thermal management solutions. Glass core substr...

What happens when the world's thirst for artificial intelligence collides with physical limitations? The answer lies at the intersection of silicon innovation and packaging technology. From the conference hall of ECTC 2025 in Dallas, we're joined by Sam Naffziger of AMD who reveals how AI has transformed from a peripheral topic to the dominant force in computing within just five years. T...

What happens when you gather 75 years of packaging innovation under one roof? The Electronic Component Technology Conference (ECTC) has transformed from a modest gathering of 300 electronics professionals to a powerhouse event attracting over 2,500 industry leaders, researchers, and visionaries. This remarkable journey reflects how advanced packaging has evolved from supporting technology to the d...

Pratyush Kamal explains how 3DIC technologies are transforming semiconductor design as Moore's Law slows, requiring closer integration between chip and package design to maximize performance. • Traditional chip design treated packaging as an afterthought with designers "throwing designs over the wall" • Economic realities of advanced nodes mean companies now pay more for smaller tra...

Andrew Mathers , Principal Product Line Manager at Nordson Test and Inspection, discusses the revolutionary advancements in 3D x-ray inspection technology and how they're improving semiconductor manufacturing quality. • X-ray inspection requires high resolution, speed, and cost-effectiveness to drive better product quality • Traditional 2D radiographic imaging is being replaced by 3D imaging...

The IEEE MTTS International Microwave Symposium attracts over 9,000 attendees and 500+ exhibitors to share cutting-edge developments in RF, microwave, and advanced packaging technologies. Tim Hancock and Jim Buckwalter from the IMS committee explain why this premier event, taking place in San Francisco's Moscone Center from June 15-20, has become increasingly relevant to professionals in adva...

Acoustic inspection stands as a silent sentinel in semiconductor manufacturing, detecting microscopic defects that could lead to catastrophic failures in high-value applications. Bryan Schackmuth, Senior Product Line Manager at Nordson Test and Inspection, reveals how this technology has evolved from laboratory tools to production-line essentials. When ultrasound encounters even the tiniest air ga...

The 3D InCites Podcast celebrates microelectronics industry innovation with a special episode featuring this year's award winners in heterogeneous integration and chiplet technology. • SallyAnn Henry , Jim Straus and David Wang , ACM Research , describe a horizontal rotation plating system for panel-level packaging with superior uniformity across square substrates • Eric Gongora , of MacDermi...

Navigating today's complex manufacturing landscape demands unprecedented supply chain resilience. This eye-opening conversation with Barry O'Dowd ( Kuehne+Nagel ) and Kamal Ahluwalia ( Resilinc ) reveals why robust supply chains matter more than ever—particularly for semiconductor capital equipment. The semiconductor industry operates at extraordinary precision, with equipment working at...