OSAKA, JAPAN — Copper and nickel are "essential" elements in forming a stable intermetallic compound layer in lead-free soldering, a joint industry-academia study has found.

BANNOCKBURN, IL — North American printed circuit board fabricators reported a 5.6% year-over-year drop in orders in November on typical seasonality.

MANASSAS, VA -- Starting in January, Zestron will sponsor a free, 10-part Webinar series on cleaning in 2012.

OSAKA, JAPAN — A new guide from Nihon Superior on “Reliability of Lead-Free Solder in Thermal Cycling” is the first in a series on lead-free solder selection.

WARRENDALE, PA -- SAE Aerospace has published new guidelines for prescreening components and conducting on-site assessments of potential suppliers.

HIGH WYCOMBE, BUCKS, UK — Smart Group will host a workshop on handling moisture-sensitive components and PCB handling next month.

BRUSSELS -- The International Trade Commission has launched an an investigation on behalf of Nanya to determine whether imports of certain DRAM devices are infringing patents.

TOKYO – The 90-day moving average orders at Japan-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers fell 30.6% year-over-year in November.

URBANA, IL -- It is known technically as a "rapid restorative mechanism." In layman's terms, it's a method for a broken electrical circuit to heal itself, without human intervention.

BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA – Universal Instruments appointed Koen Vinck general manager of European, Middle Eastern and African customer operations.

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL -- In the wake of the now-defunct Millennium Electronics, a new EMS provider has sprung up here in the north Chicago suburbs.

AYUDHAYA, THAILAND -- Benchmark Electronics has restarted operations here a week ahead of its planned schedule.