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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
July 18, 2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
It may be the middle of the summer, but the news doesn’t quit, and there’s plenty to talk about this week, whether you’re talking technical or on a global scale. When I have to choose six items instead of my regular five, you know it’s good. I start by highlighting my interview with Martyn Gaudion on his latest book, share some concerning tariff news, follow that up with some promising (and not-so-promising) investments, and feature a paper from last January’s inaugural Pan-European Design Conference. As for my bonus piece, keep reading to see what the real buzz is about.
Meet the Author Podcast: Martyn Gaudion Unpacks the Secrets of High-Speed PCB Design
Published July 16
I had the opportunity to go in-depth with Martyn Gaudion, managing director at Polar Instruments and a three-time author in the I-Connect007 book series, on his latest installment, The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to…More Secrets of High-Speed PCBs. We discuss the book’s contents, why it was important to continue the topic, and who should get a copy. As always, adding the author’s personal voice and perspective adds insight and understanding.
Copper Price Surge Raises Alarms for Electronics
Published July 15
The Global Electronics Association is reporting major turbulence in the copper market following the Trump administration’s announced 50% tariff on imported copper, slated to start Aug. 1, 2025, as reported here. Most of the copper used in the U.S. is sourced from the Americas, but the news was enough to cause a surge in the copper market.
TTM Technologies Prepares For the Future with the Acquisition of a Facility in Wisconsin and Land in Penang
Published July 10
TTM just added 750,000 square feet of manufacturing space in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where TDK was the previous owner of the building. This is in addition to a land purchase in Malaysia slated for further growth. This article provides a ton of details, shedding insight on how TTM plans to respond to shifting regional dynamics worldwide.
Report: Broadcom Scraps $1 Billion Chip Investment in Spain
Published July 15
In what I would interpret as a setback for EU supply chain resilience, Broadcom has ended its plans to build a plant for final assembly and testing of ICs in Spain. Collapsed government talks were the reason given by Broadcom. Get more details here.
Digital Twin Concept in Copper Electroplating Process Performance
Published July 11
Periodically, we publish a significant research paper in our magazines. These papers address an area of development we determine to be of particular practical interest to readers. Aga Franczak’s paper from the 2025 Pan-European Design Conference takes a hard look at improving copper thieving performance through use of a digital twin for the copper plating process. Industry 4.0 and digital twin concepts made early inroads in assembly, now researchers are using those concepts to improve board fabrication. For readers interested in fabrication, this is an important read.
BONUS!
Nvidia’s $4 Trillion Milestone Signals AI Must-have for Investors
Published July 10
I’m including this news item as a bonus sixth, because a market cap of $4 trillion simply cannot be left unnoticed. Nvidia is now the most valuable business on Earth. While that is sinking in, read all about it here.
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Elephantech Launches World’s Smallest-Class Copper Nanofiller
07/17/2025 | ElephantechJapanese deep-tech startup Elephantech has launched its cutting-edge 15 nm class copper nanofiller – the smallest class available globally. This breakthrough makes Elephantech one of the first companies in the world to provide such advanced material for commercial use.
Copper Price Surge Raises Alarms for Electronics
07/15/2025 | Global Electronics Association Advocacy and Government Relations TeamThe copper market is experiencing major turbulence in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 50% tariff on imported copper effective Aug. 1. Recent news reports, including from the New York Times, sent U.S. copper futures soaring to record highs, climbing nearly 13% in a single day as manufacturers braced for supply shocks and surging costs.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
07/11/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineThis week, we have quite a variety of news items and articles for you. News continues to stream out of Washington, D.C., with tariffs rearing their controversial head again. Because these tariffs are targeted at overseas copper manufacturers, this news has a direct effect on our industry.I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
Digital Twin Concept in Copper Electroplating Process Performance
07/11/2025 | Aga Franczak, Robrecht Belis, Elsyca N.V.PCB manufacturing involves transforming a design into a physical board while meeting specific requirements. Understanding these design specifications is crucial, as they directly impact the PCB's fabrication process, performance, and yield rate. One key design specification is copper thieving—the addition of “dummy” pads across the surface that are plated along with the features designed on the outer layers. The purpose of the process is to provide a uniform distribution of copper across the outer layers to make the plating current density and plating in the holes more uniform.
Trump Copper Tariffs Spark Concern
07/10/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamPresident Donald Trump stated on July 8 that he plans to impose a 50% tariff on copper imports, sparking concern in a global industry whose output is critical to electric vehicles, military hardware, semiconductors, and a wide range of consumer goods. According to Yahoo Finance, copper futures climbed over 2% following tariff confirmation.