Tescan, Czech Republic, unifies non-destructive Micro-CT, ultrafast laser processing, and high-precision FIB-SEM into a single, integrated workflow to accelerate root-cause determination in advanced semiconductor packaging while minimizing preparation-induced artifacts.
Continue readingCosmic is born: A new global player for semiconductor test solutions – built on decades of experience
Following an international expansion strategy initiated in 2022, a new global semiconductor test solutions group named Cosmic has been formed by uniting specialized industrial companies from Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States into two independent divisions: Cosmic Equipment and Cosmic Services.
Continue readingElectron microscopy shows ‘mouse bite’ defects in semiconductors
Cornell researchers, Ithaca, N.Y., have used high-resolution 3D imaging to detect, for the first time, the atomic-scale defects in computer chips that can sabotage their performance using a new imaging technique called electron ptychography.
Continue readingApplied Materials accelerates chip defect review with next-gen eBeam system
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, Calif., introduced a new defect review system to help semiconductor manufacturers continue pushing the limits of chip scaling combining the industry’s most sensitive electron beam technology with advanced AI image recognition to enable better and faster analysis of buried nanoscale defects.
Continue readingTexas awards $4.16M semiconductor innovation grant to Arm Inc. for major Austin expansion
Governor Greg Abbott announced that a Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund grant of $4,162,550 has been extended to Arm Inc. for an expansion of their Austin campus to include a new semiconductor lab with failure analysis capabilities.
Continue readingBrowserStack bridges developer-QA productivity gap with test failure analysis agent
BrowserStack, Ireland, the world’s leading software testing platform, launched its AI-powered Test Failure Analysis Agent, an autonomous system that debugs test failures with QA-level accuracy up to 95% faster, directly addressing the widening productivity gap between developers and QA teams.
Continue readingWhy light poles failed in Hurricane Ian despite meeting design standards
A new University of Florida study reveals how hidden flaws in design and installation of aluminum light poles on a Central Florida bridge contributed to their unexpected collapse when Hurricane Ian moved across Florida in 2022, even though wind speeds remained below the structures’ design limits.
Continue readingNew nanoprobing platform for high voltage applications
Imina Technologies SA, Switzerland, released a new Nanoprobing High-Voltage Platform designed to safely apply voltages up to 1 kV through both nanoprobing tips and the backside of the sample, addressing the growing need for reliable electrical characterization of wide-bandgap and high-power semiconductor devices such as SiC- and GaN-based MOSFETs, IGBTs, and other devices.
Continue readingOxford Instruments wins prestigious Institute of Physics business award
Oxford Instruments, UK, has been awarded a prestigious Institute of Physics Business Innovation Award for the development of BEX, a breakthrough analytical technique in scanning electron microscopes, enabling new capabilities and accelerating time to results by at least an order of magnitude.
Continue reading3D-Micromac introduces next-generation laser sample preparation platform for whole semiconductor wafer and system-level failure analysis
3D-Micromac AG, Germany, introduced microPREP L, a laser-based sample prep system that supports up to whole 12-inch wafers and system-level boards, enabling fast, precise, reproducible, and non-destructive material removal for semiconductor failure analysis and quality assurance.
Continue readingTescan acquires FemtoInnovations and launches Laser Technology Business Unit
Tescan Group, Czech Republic, acquired FemtoInnovations, a leading innovator in ultrafast laser technologies, and created a new dedicated Laser Technology Business Unit headquartered at the University of Connecticut Tech Park that expands Tescan’s correlative and multimodal portfolio for semiconductor, biomedical device manufacturing, and advanced research markets.
Continue readingEngineering defects could transform the future of nanomaterials
Materials scientists at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have found a way to create and control tiny internal “flaws” inside ultra-thin materials known as extended defects, that could give next-generation nanomaterials entirely new properties, opening the door to advances in nanotechnology.
Continue readingInstron launches new AVE3 Advanced Video Extensometer
Instron, Norwood, Mass., released the AVE3, an advanced non-contacting video extensometer that delivers precise strain measurement with unparalleled, micron-level accuracy for tensile, compression, and bend testing.
Continue readingiST launches Global Smart Reliability Center to accelerate front-end validation for AI and EV applications
Integrated Service Technology Inc., Taiwan, a leading provider of electronic product verification and analysis services, launched its Global Smart Reliability Center, developed in response to the growing demand for early-stage reliability testing in AI, high-performance computing, and electric vehicle applications.
Continue readingSigray unveils the Apex-Hybrid: a breakthrough 3D x-ray system for failure analysis and electronics reverse engineering
Sigray, Inc. of Benicia, Calif. has launched the Apex-Hybrid, a breakthrough X-ray system designed to revolutionize failure analysis in semiconductor and electronics labs with interchangeable laminography and tomography modes, delivering exceptional speed and 350nm high-resolution imaging for everything from large packages and PCBs to the smallest components.
Continue readingSwRI provides rapid response to address critical aging aircraft issue
Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, collaborated with the U.S. Air Force to enhance fleet safety by developing advanced risk and damage tolerance analyses that led to a more effective inspection schedule for the T-38 Talon-helping detect cracks before they become critical.
Continue readingExamining recoater damage: How Alloyed is addressing the challenge
Phase3D, Chicago, Ill., is working with commercial part manufacturer, Alloyed in the UK, to characterize part and build quality and determine how anomalies in a build cause defects in a part using the Fringe in-situ inspection system.
Continue readingRaith acquires Xnovo Technology
Raith, Denmark, a developer of maskless nanofabrication systems and characterization solutions, acquired Xnovo Technology ApS, a dynamic and innovative technology development company in Denmark specializing in advanced imaging methods and materials characterization.
Continue readingAirbus and Plastometrex partner on standardization of PIP
In a significant move to streamline mechanical testing and enhance material insights, Airbus, France, the global aerospace leader, is collaborating with Plastometrex, England, to support the standardization of profilometry-based indentation plastometry (PIP) – the innovative mechanical testing technique developed and commercialized by the Cambridge-based technology provider.
Continue readingQuantumDiamonds launches QD m.0: first commercial quantum device for semiconductor chip failure analysis
QuantumDiamonds GmbH, Germany, a pioneer in quantum sensing technology, released the QD m.0, the first commercial quantum device designed specifically for semiconductor chip failure analysis, using diamond-based quantum microscopy to detect and localize faults in integrated circuits with high precision.
Continue readingNEOTech acquires advanced 3D computed tomography equipment for enhanced process validation and failure analysis
NEOTech, Chatsworth, Calif., a leading provider of electronic manufacturing services, design engineering, and supply chain solutions in the high-tech industrial, medical device, and aerospace/defense markets, announced a significant investment in and acquisition of state-of-the-art three-dimensional Computed Tomography scan equipment for its engineering laboratory.
Continue readinginTEST Corporation launches innovative hover sense non-contact probe testing technology for electric vehicle battery testing
inTEST Corporation, Mt. Laurel, N. J., launched the Acculogic patent-pending hover sense non-contact technology for electric vehicle battery testing, representing a significant leap forward in validating the quality and reliability of EV battery interconnects.
Continue readingTOPCon modules endure ‘significant degradation’ in damp heat testing compared to PERC
Scientists from the University of New South Wales published a report into passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) and tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar modules, finding that the latter has endured “significant degradation” in damp heat testing.
Continue readingORNL researchers enhance reliability of electric vehicle charging
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tenn., are developing algorithms and multilayered communication and control systems that make electric vehicle chargers operate more reliably, even if there is a voltage drop or disturbance in the electric grid.
Continue readingHexagon’s industry-first zoom-enabled optical 3D scanner
Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, Sweden, launched the first optical 3D scanner on the market with a motorized zoom lens that enables users to adjust data resolution and measurement volume entirely through software settings.
Continue readingTime-resolved emission microscopy for circuit evaluation and failure analysis
The National Institute of Standards and Technology ongoing project will improve time-resolved-emission microscopy by tailoring its’ single-photon detectors and scaling up these sensors to the megapixel level.
Continue readingNoninvasive technique tracks light through photonic circuits
Researchers at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel, have shown how to exploit the natural nonlinearity of silicon to track the propagation of light through a circuit to characterize a chip’s performance.
Continue readingCorroded wire rope leads to crane failure on bulk carrier
Undetected corrosion and wear led to an equipment failure on a cargo ship while offloading cargo in Houston, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Continue readingCompressor cracks cited in Canadian helo crash
Fractures in the sixth-stage compressor wheel triggered a catastrophic engine failure and caused the April 2022 fatal crash of a Kestrel Helicopters 1981 Hughes 369D during long-line slinging operations in British Columbia, according to a recently released report from Canada’s Transportation Safety Board.
Continue readingTurbine fatigue issue forced F-22 engine retrofit, Air Force says
The Air Force and engine builder Pratt & Whitney, East Hartford, Conn., completed a $21 million, fleet-wide retrofit effort for the F-22 Raptor’s dual F119 engines, after identifying a fatigue issue with turbine blades that led to seven class A mishaps, nearly $23 million in damages, but no operational interruption.
Continue reading






























