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VOLUME 36 - NUMBER 6 EM Services June, 2021
When the Chips are Down: Managing the Semiconductor Shortage
By David Stein, VP — Global Supplier Management, Digi-Key Electronics ASM installs E by SIPLACE
at LED manufacturer Audax. EMS section begins on...
Page 18 EM Products
THIEF RIVER FALLS, MN — Over the past six months, demand for semiconductors has exploded. Driven in large part by the automotive and con- sumer electronics industries, this massive spike in demand has snarled supply chains and caused a shortage of semiconductors.
many companies are resuming previous 2019 proj- ects, as well as starting new ones, creating an even higher demand for semiconductors. This uptick in demand, combined with lower
inventory levels at suppliers and distributors, has caused various shortages and lengthening of sup- plier product lead times to record highs. At the same time, a lack of shipping containers in Asia, along with logistical challenges, social dis- tancing and quarantine measures continue to disrupt activities in the region. In addition, the supply chains of
ViscoTec releases
dispenser for complex materials of varying
viscosities. EM products begin on...
Page 24 This Month’s Focus:
Components and Distribution
South-Tek slashes cost of ni-
trogen use; ICAPE speaks out on new global business land- scape; Micro Harmonics and Cornell use MMW to study virus evolution.
Special features begin on... Page 44
New Products
Würth Elektronik sub- sidiary IQD expands portfolio of rubidium atomic clock oscillators.
New products begin on.... Page 58
Digi-Key offers nearly 12 million products, with 2.6 million immediately available.
This situation actually began 18 to 24 months
ago, when a large amount of design activity began to take place across a broad spectrum of industries, with applications for vehicles, personal electronics, automation, and 5G devices. Much of this activity was derailed by the coro-
navirus pandemic, which shifted design and sup- port to the medical industry in early 2020. Now,
New Techniques for Flexible Printed Electronics
AARHUS, DENMARK — The next generation of electronics is taking the shape of non-rigid, flexible, and customizable cir- cuitry, easily integrated into many different objects. Direct- write printing technology is a popular approach to creating these new electronics, through the use of functional inks. These nanomaterial inks can be tai- lored to add specific functionali- ties when used on various flexi- ble substrates, such as textiles or plastics. The technology, known as printed electronics (PE) has been
around for decades, but has re- cently gained traction due to ad- vances in ink materials, process technology and design methods. In a recent research paper from Aarhus University, published in the journal Advanced Materials, professor Shweta Agarwala and her team offer a comprehensive review of the current state of the technology. PE is already being used in
many applications. It is an at- tractive method to impart elec- trical functionality to nearly any surface and it has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive
Continued on page 8
raw materials such as manganese, an- timony, tungsten, and ferrovanadium have been affected by supply prob- lems and increased freight costs since November. Lastly, in Europe and the U.S.,
ports can no longer keep up with un- loading containers. With increased COVID-19 health and safety measures in place, ports are operating with re-
duced staff. Many container ships are anchored for several days, unable to dock. The recent blockage of the Suez Canal further exacerbated these backups, which then resonated throughout global trade.
Shortage and Squeeze
This shortage has broad implications for the in- Continued on page 6
UMC Plans $36 Billion Semi Fab Expansion
HSINCHU, TAIWAN — United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) has announced plans to expand capacity at its 300 mm Fab 12A Phase 6 (P6) in Tainan Science Park, Taiwan. The ex- pansion, developed through a collaboration with several of its largest customers, is scheduled to begin in 2023 with an estimat- ed cost of NT$100 billion ($36 billion USD). The plans come as automak-
ers and a growing range of other sectors have been unable to se-
Continued on page 8
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