Synopsys to Acquire Ansys in $35B Deal

SUNNYVALE, CA – Synopsys and Ansys in January announced a definitive agreement under which Synopsys will acquire its fellow ECAD provider for $35 billion in stock and cash. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2025.

Cadence Design Systems and Siemens also reportedly made bids for Ansys before Ansys agreed to the Synopsys sale, with Cadence kicking off the sales process after making an initial acquisition offer last fall, CNBC reported. 

Ansys shareholders will own 16.5% of Synopsys following the merger, Synopsys CEO Sassine Ghazi said during a conference call after the announcement. The deal will be funded in part by $16 billion of new debt, plus $3 billion in cash.

GreenSource Nabs $43M DoD Award for Fab Upgrades

WASHINGTON – The Department of Defense in late December announced an award of $46.2 million to GreenSource Fabrication to enhance existing production capabilities at a manufacturing facility of state-of-the-art IC substrate, high-density interconnect (HDI) and ultra-high-density interconnect (UHDI), and advanced packaging.

The grant was made as part of the recently signed Defense Production Act Investment (DPAI) Program.

“Reshoring advanced packaging and assembly are essential to increase semiconductor supply chain security,” said Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy. “Expanding domestic production capability for printed circuit boards and advanced packaging is necessary to avert a shortfall that would severely impair national defense capability.”

Siemens Adds Thermal Digital Twin Technology

PLANO, TX – Siemens Digital Industries Software has announced a new approach for sharing accurate thermal models of IC packages.

The main advantages of the new technology are protecting intellectual property, enhancing supply chain collaboration and accuracy of models for steady state and transient thermal analysis to enhance design studies, the company said.

Introduced in the latest updates to Simcenter Flotherm software for electronics cooling simulation from the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, the Embeddable Boundary Condition Independent Reduced Order Model (BCI-ROM) technology permits a semiconductor company to generate an accurate model that can be shared with its clients for use in downstream high-fidelity 3-D thermal analysis without exposing the IC’s internal physical structure.

Cadence Acquires Invecas

SAN JOSE – Cadence Design Systems has announced the acquisition of Invecas, a provider of design engineering, embedded software and system-level solutions headquartered in Santa Clara, CA. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition is expected to be immaterial to Cadence’s total revenue and earnings this year, the company said.

The acquisition brings a skilled engineering team centered in Hyderabad, led by Invecas CEO Dasaradha Gude, that has vast experience in delivering end-to-end system solutions with deep expertise in advanced nodes, mixed-signal, verification, embedded software, packaging and turnkey custom silicon production, Cadence said a release.

Invecas has served hundreds of customers across various verticals, including mobile, networking, hyperscaler and automotive, and in addition to Cadence’s EDA solutions, the newly acquired company will also leverage and augment Cadence’s IP portfolio to enable more comprehensive custom product solutions.

Simmtech Investing in Indian Semiconductor Fab

CHEONGJU, KOREA – South Korean PCB maker Simmtech has announced plans for a INR1,250 core ($151 million) investment in the Indian state of Gujarat to support Micron’s semiconductor plant being built in the state.

Simmtech CEO Jeffery Chun made the announcement at the 2024 Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.

“Through the support of central and state governments, we are ready to make an investment in Gujarat which will create thousands of jobs,” he said.

Orbic Electronics to Move Manufacturing from China to US

HAUPPAUGE, NY – Orbic Electronics Manufacturing has announced the launch of its Project Patriot initiative, which will move its manufacturing operation from China to New York’s Suffolk County, bringing more than 1,000 new jobs to the area.

Orbic Electronics Manufacturing produces a range of connected devices, including smartphones, tablets and mobile hotspots.

“This initiative is a stride forward in our vision of a sustainable, job-creating future,” said Mike Narula, President and CEO, Orbic Electronics. “Project Patriot is set to be a very exciting time in our company’s history, and Suffolk County is the perfect location for the bulk of our work to advance the production of American-Made products and grow American manufacturing jobs. Having our products read ‘Made in America’ is a tremendous point of pride for us, and it will also allow our company to bolster the local economy, helping other vendors in Suffolk County succeed alongside us.”

Amber Enterprises Acquires Majority Stake in Ascent Circuits, Signs MoU with Korea Circuits

GURGAON, INDIA – Indian EMS provider Amber Enterprises, through its subsidiary Iljin Electronics, has acquired a 60% stake in PCB maker Ascent Circuits for an undisclosed sum.

India-based Ascent Circuits’ clients include the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Bharat Electronics (BEL) and Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL), as well as several domestic and global automotive, telecom, and consumer electronics companies.

Amber, under the newly acquired Ascent Circuits, also signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korea’s Korea Circuit to boost its PCB portfolio.

Kontron Acquires Majority Stake in EMS Katek

LINZ, AUSTRIA – Kontron has agreed to acquire around 60% of the shares in Katek in a bid to expand its portfolio of green energy solutions and the aerospace segment.

The transaction, in which Kontron is acquiring 8,587,138 shares in Katek for a purchase price of €15 ($16.30) per share from primary shareholder Primepulse, is expected to be completed by March pending regulatory review, Kontron said in a release.

Katek offers electronics manufacturing and products for solar energy and e-mobility. The company had revenue of more than €750 million ($815.2 million) in 2023, and has more than 3,200 employees in locations across Europe, Asia and North America.

Neways Acquires Microsystems Firm Sencio

SON, NETHERLANDS – Neways in January announced the acquisition of Sencio, a microsystems company based in Nijmegen, Netherlands, that specializes in advanced packaging for smart sensing and actuation applications.

The acquisition solidifies Neways’ position in microelectronics technology, the company said in a release. Sencio will continue to operate under the brand Neways Advanced Microsystems and operate out of its current facilities in Nijmegen.

“Over the past years Neways has invested significantly in its technology position, that allows us to act as innovation partner for the most demanding customers in the industry,” said Hans Büthker, CEO, Neways. “Through the acquisition of Sencio we further strengthen our market position in microelectronics and are able to offer a broader suite of integrated services to both Neways’ and Sencio’s customers. We welcome the Sencio team and are looking forward to our joint journey forwards.”

Inission Announces Acquisition of AXXE

KARLSTAD, SWEDEN – Swedish EMS provider Inission has expanded its presence in southern Norway with the acquisition of AXXE. The companies signed an agreement for the sale on Jan. 17, and the deal closed on Jan. 31.

According to the agreement, Inission will pay NOK27 million ($2.6 million) for 50.1% of the shares in AXXE, which is five times the average EBITDA for 2021-23. Inission will further pay six times the average EBIDTA from 2024-26 for the remaining 49.9% of AXXE.

AXXE has a portfolio of customers in several different segments such as marine, communications and IoT and industrial, and has 46 employees located in Halden, Norway. In 2022, AXXE had sales of NOK138 million ($13.1 million) and EBITDA of NOK8 million ($759,000).

LCY Group Signs $9.5M Deal with Nippon Denkai

TAIPEI – Taiwan’s LCY Group has signed a business and capital alliance agreement with Nippon Denkai’s US electrolytic copper foils subsidiary to offer a $9.5 million loan to support collaborations and share experiences in operations and expansions in the US.

In addition to the loan offered by LCY Group, the two companies have signed a license agreement under which LCY Technology will have access to Denkai’s technology license. Under the agreement, LCY and Denkai will be able to complete and expand geographical customer portfolios and strengthen technological cooperation in rigid and flexible boards as well as high-functioning fields (high-frequency, high-density mounting, etc.), LCY said in a release.

The partnership aims to enhance the production flexibility of both parties in manufacturing high-end PCB copper foils, which are used in packaging substrates, 5G and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) applications in Taiwan, China and the global market. LCY said it believes that the combined technical expertise, product portfolio and rich customer experience of both sides will help Denkai Group accelerate the realization of its mid- to long-term goals, and the collaboration aims to maximize production and sales synergies through accelerated sales growth of specialized PCB copper foil.

Foxconn Establishes EV Production Business in China

TAIPEI – Foxconn Technology Group has established an electric vehicle business in Zhengzhou, China, amid declining smartphone sales.

The new firm, Foxconn New Energy Automobile Industry Development, was founded in Zhengzhou – also home to Foxconn’s 200,000-employee iPhone factory – with a registered capital of 500 million yuan ($70 million), according to public records. Its business covers car component manufacturing and development, motor production and NEV sales, among other areas.

Foxconn said the new venture belongs to Foxconn Innovation Industry Development Group and aims to sharpen the company’s focus on the electric vehicle industry, according to the South China Morning Post.

Dixon Factory Searched by Indian Government

NOIDA, INDIA – Dixon Technologies has announced a search of one of its subsidiary’s manufacturing facilities here by India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence.

In a regulatory filing, Dixon said the DRI searched the factory regarding the classification of the raw material imported for manufacturing one of the products. The company said the search took place on Jan. 17, but did not specify the product or the raw materials that were searched.

Dixon said the search should not have a material impact on the company’s operations, and it is cooperating with the investigation.

“The issues raised by the DRI are interpretational in nature and we stand committed to defend our interpretation using all recourse available to us. We have extended full cooperation to the DRI, including providing complete information in a timely manner,” the company said.

DSL Launches In-House Assembly Service

LETCHWORTH GARDEN CITY, UK – DSL – Electronic Manufacture has established an in-house PCB assembly service to bring design and manufacturing under the same roof.

The company, which has specialized in electronic design services during its history, said it first initiated the plans in the summer of 2023, after finding that the scarcity of components made it nearly impossible to produce PCB assemblies, and if they could be obtained, the costs were exorbitant.

“We found ourselves in a difficult position, trying to justify the significant price increases imposed by our outsourced manufacturing partners without any valid justifications ourselves,” the company said in a release. “Moreover, we faced numerous manufacturing issues, including costly mistakes, especially considering the high prices of these components. Once again, DSL was left in a compromising position, disappointing our valued clients through no fault of our own. We reached a breaking point and decided that enough was enough.”

Cicor Closes STS Defence Acquisition

BRONSCHHOFEN, SWITZERLAND – Cicor Group has successfully closed the acquisition of 100% of the shares of the UK-based STS Defence announced in October 2023.

With the acquisition, Cicor adds a specialist in the design, manufacture and assembly of equipment and systems, as well as the integration and maintenance throughout the equipment’s life cycle. STS Defence employs around 150 people in the south of the UK and generated sales of GBP27.5 million ($35 million) in the fiscal year ended Jun. 30.

Cicor said it is committed to continue providing engineering support and manufacturing services from the existing STS Defence site under the current management team.

PCB Design Tool Sales Set Record in Q3

MILPITAS, CA – Sales of design software for printed circuit boards and multichip modules rose 23.6% to $426.1 million in the third quarter 2023, the ESD Alliance announced in January.

The four-quarter moving average, which compares the most recent four quarters to the prior four, rose 14%.

Electronic design automation industry revenue rose to $4.7 billion, an increase of 25.2% from 2022, and the four-quarter moving average rose 13.8%. (more)

Do Trace Coatings or Via Fillings Improve (Thermal or Electrical) Conductivity?

Coating traces or filling vias is usually a wasted expense.
by Doug Brooks, Ph.D. and Dr. Johannes Adam

We are often dismayed by the number of individuals (and especially board manufacturers) who suggest that coating a trace or filling a via cavity can result in significant thermal and/or electrical conductivity improvements. Herein we will try to explain why, in almost all cases, this is not true.

Individual trace coatings. Often users (especially board manufacturers) suggest trace thermal or electrical conductivity can be improved by coating the trace with some conducting material. It sort of makes intuitive sense that additional material can provide more benefit. Trace coatings are typically limited in a practical sense to plated copper or a solder coat. We suggest that such a coating can be analyzed by looking at the separate elements (bare trace and coating) as two parallel conductors.

An easy way to look at the effects of adding a coating is through simulation (Note 1). Consider a model of a copper trace (ρ = 1.8µΩ-cm) that consists of:

1. a 20 x 200mm board, 1.7mm thick, of typical FR-4 material
2. a 150mm long, 1.5mm wide copper trace, 0.037mm thick
3. with conducting cross-sectional area of 1.5*0.037 = 0.0555mm²

How Interconnects Work: Anatomy of Crosstalk

Models for understanding sources, quantification and mitigation of crosstalk.
by Yuriy Shlepnev

Crosstalk in PCB and packaging interconnects is arguably one of the most complicated phenomena that may cause signal degradation. It is caused by unwanted coupling between signal links and between signal links and power distribution systems. The effect is deterministic, but very difficult to predict in many cases – too many variables and uncertainties. Crosstalk effects can be treated statistically as a deterministic jitter with a bounded distribution, but the distribution is usually not known and just guessed.

A direct analysis of a worst-case crosstalk scenario may lead to a system overdesign. Neglecting it in design may cause a system failure that is difficult to find and fix later in a design process. On top of that, distortions caused by crosstalk cannot be corrected by signal conditioning techniques at the receiver side. Thus, it is very important to understand the sources of crosstalk, how to quantify it and how to mitigate it efficiently. This is the first part of the paper with an overview of crosstalk sources and terminology – just a slice through the complicated phenomenon. The second part will describe and compare different ways to quantify, compute and measure crosstalk. This paper continues the “How Interconnects Work” series.^1-4

Building the Efficient Design System

EMA founder Manny Marcano lays out his strategy for untethering methodology and technology.
by Mike Buetow

EMA Design Automation has for years been exclusive distributor of Cadence’s OrCad products in North America and Europe. Through acquisitions and internal development EMA now has a series of its own software products for library management, component supply chain data, and other areas.

Late last year EMA announced it would spin off those CAD-agnostic products into a standalone company.

We spoke in January with Manny Marcano, president and founder of EMA, on the PCB Chat podcast. The following transcript has been edited for clarity.

High-Density Interconnect Technology: An Overview

Design and manufacturing considerations for HDI PCBs.
by Akber Roy

High-density interconnect (HDI) technology has been a major enabler of advancement in the electronics industry, providing the dense interconnections and intricate circuitry needed to create state-of-the-art electronic devices that are tightly packed with miniaturized components and 2.5-D/3-D semiconductor packages. Miniaturization at the semiconductor level has driven miniaturization at the PCB level, with manufacturers striving to shrink the size of devices while maintaining or enhancing their capabilities. This has led to the development of compact smartphones, slim laptops, and wearable gadgets that seamlessly blend into our daily lives (Figure 1). Alongside miniaturization has been a constant push for faster processing speeds. As technology evolves, the processing power of electronic devices has skyrocketed, enabling quicker data processing, seamless multitasking, and smoother user experiences.

Windy City Tour

Chicago’s EMS companies place an emphasis on responsiveness.
by Tyler Hanes

While major manufacturing centers in Mexico, plus the more than 250 EMS companies in the Silicon Valley, draw much of the attention when it comes to electronics assembly, the greater Chicagoland area is alive and well.

CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY visited a trio of EMS companies last fall, each of which specializes in different niches. The firms, which include Imagineering, BEST and BESTProto, have taken different paths to success, but they have a common recognition of the need for responsiveness in a demanding customer environment.

Imagineering: From Fabrication to Assembly

Our first stop was Imagineering. The 38-year-old company offers fabrication services through partners in Taiwan, China and the US, and began offering assembly in 2011 as an additional service for customers.

Solder Materials

“Effect of Sb and Ag Addition and Aging on the Microstructural Evolution, IMC Layer Growth, and Mechanical Properties of Near-Eutectic Sn-Bi Alloys”

Authors: Hannah N. Fowler, et. al.

Abstract: Low-melting-point Sn-Bi solder joints (melting point: 139°C) show remarkable resistance to damage accumulation during aggressive thermal cycling. In this study, the authors used isothermal aging at 85°C of near eutectic Sn-Bi solder joints to determine the effect of Sb in solid solution and Ag₃Sn intermetallic on microstructural evolution and the resulting mechanical properties to explain the thermal cycling behavior. Most importantly, the Sb in solid solution in these alloys resulted in higher strength and improved creep resistance compared to eutectic Sn-Bi. In contrast to SnPb and SnAgCu Pb-free alloys, all the near-eutectic SnBi alloys tested showed significant age hardening. In both unaged and aged conditions, both Sb and Ag additions individually increased saturation stress of the eutectic SnBi solder joint, but Ag had a more significant effect. However, when both Sb and Ag were added to eutectic Sn-Bi, the saturation stress was lower than when 1 wt.% Ag alone was added. In terms of relative behavior, the Sb-free 42SnBi1Ag aged for 250 hr. had the highest saturation stress of all tested alloys, while as-reflowed eutectic SnBi had the lowest saturation stress. These results suggest that the alloy design strategy for SAC alloys; i.e., assuming that the effects of individual alloying elements are additive and independent, is not valid when Sb is added to SnBi low-temperature solder. (Journal of Electronic Materials, December 2023, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-023-10866-0)