ROSENHEIM, Germany / KUALA LUMPUR, 5 May 2026 — esmo group (esmo), a leading global full-service systems integrator, developer, and supplier of advanced automation solutions for the semiconductor test industry, today announces the debut of its X-change Cart. A dedicated, semi-automated Device Interface Board (DIB) exchange system that enables a complete load board changeover by a single operator in under one minute, the X-change Cart addresses the safety, efficiency, and reliability challenges associated with manual board handling on the semiconductor test floor.

In high-mix semiconductor test environments, load board changeovers are a frequent and operationally significant activity. The reliance on manual handling has long presented challenges around changeover time, operator safety, and the risk of damage to high-value boards.

“Across test floors, we kept seeing the same pattern,” said Josef Weinberger, Head of Business Unit, esmo semicon. “Board changeovers were slow, physically demanding, and too dependent on individual technique. In tight spaces, that's where mistakes happen and time is lost. That observation drove us to build a dedicated solution that makes changeovers fast, repeatable, and manageable by a single operator in under a minute.”

Engineered for the Modern Test Floor

The X-change Cart removes the physical demands and variability of manual board handling from the equation entirely. Through a structured, HMI-controlled process, a single operator can lock, rotate, and transfer a board to the tester within a minute. The ability to carry two boards in a single trip makes that timescale achievable in practice. Thoughtful design details, including a ±180° rotation at the locking mechanism and a ±90° tower swivel, address the real-world constraints of a busy test floor.

Broad compatibility with leading ATE platforms (e.g. Teradyne, Advantest, SPEA and more) facilitates integration into existing multi-vendor environments without reconfiguration, allowing OSATs and IDMs to realise multiple benefits without disruption to their current setup.

For facilities with longer-term automation objectives, an optional configuration allows the interface tower to be mounted onto a customized AGV or AMR, providing a practical upgrade path toward autonomous test floor operations. The modular design further allows additional features to be incorporated as operational requirements evolve.

Weinberger added, “Reliability in production comes down to the details. The gripper head is engineered to perform consistently under real production conditions, with ESD-safe construction ensuring the board is protected at every point of contact. That level of engineering discipline is what makes the difference on a real production floor.”

X-change Cart Key Features

• Modular DIB exchange system for reliable, error-free board loading and unloading
• One-person operation — complete board change in under one minute
• Transports two load boards simultaneously for rapid exchange
• Full multi-axis rotation: ±180° at locking mechanism | ±180° Y-axis | ±90° Z-axis
• Compatible with leading ATE platforms — Teradyne, Advantest, SPEA and more
• Interfaces with test head, prober, DIB-loader, storage rack, and maintenance workbench
• Tower swivels ±90° for use in narrow corridors and constrained test floor layouts
• Integrated Human-Machine Interface (HMI), sensor detection, safety hand-brake, and modular battery
• Optional: fully automated configuration mountable on AGV or AMR

The X-change Cart will be available for live demonstration at the esmo booth throughout SEMICON Southeast Asia 2026. Visit esmo at Booth 2145, Hall 8, Level 2, MITEC Kuala Lumpur from 5–7 May 2026, or contact [email protected] to arrange a meeting or request further information.

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Brewer Science Earns 2026 USA TODAY Top Workplaces Award
Employee-Owner Feedback Recognizes Company’s People-First Culture

Rolla, MO – April 14, 2026 – Brewer Science, Inc., a global leader in developing and manufacturing next-generation materials and processes for the microelectronics and optoelectronics industries, has been named a 2026 USA TODAY Top Workplace. The recognition underscores Brewer Science’s long-standing commitment to fostering a people-first culture.

The USA TODAY Top Workplaces award honors organizations with 150 or more employees that have created exceptional workplace cultures centered on trust, engagement, and employee well-being. This year, more than 42,000 organizations were invited to participate. Award recipients are recognized for building environments that prioritize employee listening and meaningful engagement. USA TODAY showcased the winners online and at the National Awards Summit in Las Vegas.

Winners are determined solely by authentic employee feedback collected through a confidential survey administered by Energage, the HR research and technology company behind the Top Workplaces program since 2006. Results are based on employee responses to Workplace Experience Themes, which research shows are strong indicators of organizational health and performance.

“Earning a USA TODAY Top Workplaces award is a testament to an organization’s credibility and commitment to a people-first culture,” said Eric Rubino, CEO of Energage. “This award, driven by real employee feedback, is more than just a recognition — it’s proof that your employees believe in the organization and its leadership. Job seekers and customers look for this trusted badge of credibility and excellence. It signals a company that values its people, and that kind of culture resonates in today’s competitive market.”

In addition to the national USA TODAY recognition, Brewer Science continues to receive strong regional and industry-specific honors. In 2025, the company was named a Top Workplace in Greater St. Louis for the ninth consecutive year and earned recognition as a 2025 National Top Workplace in the Manufacturing Industry. These sustained accolades reflect a culture intentionally designed to provide employee-owners with a fulfilling and purpose-driven work experience that fuels innovation across the microelectronics industry.

“Delivering customized solutions to customers’ complex challenges requires a strong sense of clarity and commitment across the company,” said Dan Brewer, co-CEO of Brewer Science. “That commitment is rooted in our value to create an environment where employees are empowered to think creatively, collaborate openly, and innovate boldly. Our employee-owners take pride in the products they bring to our customers, partners, and the industry as a whole.”

Learn more about Brewer Science’s culture and explore career opportunities at:
https://www.brewerscience.com/about-us/company/careers/

ABOUT BREWER SCIENCE
Brewer Science is a global leader in developing and manufacturing next-generation materials and processes that foster the technology needed for tomorrow. Since 1981, we’ve expanded our technology portfolio within advanced lithography, advanced packaging, smart devices, and printed electronics to enable cutting-edge microdevices and unique quality monitoring systems for water and air applications. We are Certified Employee-Owned and a Certified B Corporation™, using our business as a force for good. Our headquarters are in Rolla, Missouri, with customer support throughout the world. Learn more at: www.brewerscience.com.

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Company Contact:
Nathan Ayres
Email: [email protected]

ABOUT ENERGAGE
Energage is a purpose-driven company that helps organizations turn employee feedback into useful business intelligence and credible employer recognition through Top Workplaces. Built on 20 years of culture research and the results from 30 million employees surveyed across more than 80,000 organizations, Energage delivers the most accurate competitive benchmark available. With access to a unique combination of patented analytic tools and expert guidance, Energage customers lead the competition with an engaged workforce and an opportunity to gain recognition for their people-first approach to culture. For more information or to nominate your organization, visit energage.com or topworkplaces.com.

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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 29 April 2026 – DAS Environmental Experts presents its latest sustainable technologies at SEMICON SEA 2026 (May 5–7, MITEC, Booth 1174). The focus is on closing resource loops in semiconductor manufacturing through integrated waste gas and water treatment.

Integrated environmental technologies for next-generation fabs

High-performance connectivity software delivers structured, high-volume equipment data required by tier-one fabs and advanced packaging facilities ahead of the expected mid-2026 SEMI standards update

POITIERS, March 25, 2026 – Agileo Automation, a leading provider of control and connectivity solutions for global semiconductor manufacturing, today unveils Agil'EDA, a new software solution implementing Equipment Data Acquisition (EDA), a set of SEMI standards also known as Interface A, to enable semiconductor equipment manufacturers to meet the evolving high-performance connectivity requirements of tier-one fabs and advanced packaging facilities.

As semiconductor manufacturing moves towards higher levels of automation and data-driven optimization, fab owners increasingly require EDA alongside traditional SECS/GEM connectivity from semiconductor OEMs for their production tools. Agil'EDA addresses this by separating the control flow from the data flow, ensuring that structured, high-frequency data collection does not interfere with critical equipment operations.
Designed for long-term deployment, Agil'EDA fully supports the widely used EDA Freeze 2 (SOAP/XML) and is architected for the transition to Freeze 3 (gRPC/protocol buffers). This next-generation standard offers significantly higher data throughput and reduced latency. Agileo has already successfully tested and validated its EDA Freeze 3 implementation at SEMI’s North America Standards Fall Meetings in November 2024 in Milpitas, California. SEMI’s EDA Freeze 3 standards suite is expected to be released mid-2026.

Complementing the SECS/GEM standards used to control equipment behavior, Agil’EDA incorporates robust cybersecurity features such as authentication and encrypted communications. The product is available as a stand-alone solution for any existing equipment software using a platform-independent gRPC application programming interface (API) to communicate with it or as a pre-integrated component within Agileo’s A²ECF-SEMI framework. When used with Agil'GEM and Agil'GEM300, it provides a comprehensive connectivity solution that significantly reduces time to market for OEMs.

"With the growing demand for data to improve yield in tier-one fabs, as well as in Advanced Packaging and 3D integration, EDA is no longer optional. It is becoming a mandatory requirement for equipment entering the world's most advanced fabs," explains Marc Engel, chief executive officer of Agileo Automation. "The key value we deliver for OEMs is a fast and easy adoption path for a seamless EDA architecture that delivers compliant production machines to global fab customers. By providing a future-proof architecture ready for Freeze 3, which will significantly increase performance, we address OEMs’ current needs while preparing them for the evolving requirements of semiconductor manufacturing, including AI-driven process control."

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About Agileo Automation
Agileo Automation is a trusted partner for equipment manufacturers, helping them build smarter, automated, and more connected machines that integrate seamlessly into advanced semiconductor fabs. Founded in 2010 in Poitiers, France, Agileo helps OEMs with control, communication, data acquisition, and testing across their tools through proven software and expert support. Its flagship A²ECF-SEMI framework provides a solid foundation for developing equipment controllers fully aligned with SEMI SECS/GEM, GEM300, and EDA standards. As an active member of SEMI and the OPC Foundation, Agileo Automation contributes directly to shaping the standards that drive manufacturing. For more information, please visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn.

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Brings Advocacy for the adoption of RISC-V processors and processor verification tool standards

Leverages broad experience in EDA business strategy, marketing and sales

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Breker Verification Systems today named Larry Lapides, former Synopsys Executive Director of RISC-V Tools Business Development, to its Advisory Board.

In making today’s announcement, David Kelf, Breker’s CEO, noted that Lapides has been a tireless advocate for the adoption of RISC-V processors and the urgent need for RISC-V processor verification tool standards. “Larry’s RISC-V knowledge and his ties to the RISC-V community are welcome additions to Breker and our advisory board.”

“Breker sits at the forefront in the development of commercial processor verification solutions and is a valued member of the RISC-V community,” remarks Lapides. “It will be a pleasure to work with Breker to move this important effort forward.”

Larry Lapides Biography
Lapides joined Synopsys through the acquisition of Imperas Software, where he was Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing. He previously ran worldwide sales at EDA companies including Verisity Design and has more than 30 years in software tools and EDA, plus time spent in infrared systems engineering.

Lapides holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physics from UC Berkeley, a Master of Science degree in Applied Physics from Cornell University and an MBA from Clark University in Worcester, Mass.

About Breker Verification Systems
Breker Verification Systems solves complex semiconductor challenges across the functional verification process from streamlining UVM-based testbench composition to execution for IP block verification, significantly enhancing SoC integration and firmware verification with automated solutions that provide test content portability and reuse. Breker’s solutions include a SystemVIP library of scenarios for RISC-V and Arm, core and SoC testing, coherency, security and other critical areas. Breker solutions easily layer into existing environments and operate across simulation, emulation, prototyping, and post-silicon execution platforms. Its Trek family is production-proven at leading semiconductor companies worldwide and enables design managers and verification engineers to realize measurable productivity gains, speed coverage closure and easy verification knowledge reuse. As a leader in the development of the Accellera Portable Stimulus Standard (PSS), privately held Breker has a reputation for dramatically reducing verification schedules in advanced development environments. Case studies that feature Analog Devices, Broadcom, IBM and other companies leveraging Breker’s solutions are available on the Breker website.

Engage with Breker at:
Website: www.brekersystems.com
Twitter: @BrekerSystems
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/breker-verification-systems/

TrekSoC, TrekSoC-Si, TrekBox and SoC Scenario Modeling are registered trademark of Breker Verification Systems. Breker Verification Systems acknowledges trademarks or registered trademarks of other organizations for their respective products.

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Oxford Instruments, a leading provider of advanced plasma processing solutions, today announced a plasma equipment supply agreement with Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AOI) (Nasdaq: AAOI), a leading provider of advanced optical and hybrid fibre-coaxial networking products that power the internet, for several etch and deposition cluster systems at their facility in Sugar Land, Texas.

The agreement will support AOI’s transformative expansion and technological advancements in indium phosphide (InP) for optoelectronic device manufacturing, as the company rapidly scales to increase production capacity within the U.S.

As AOI undergoes a significant growth phase, the company is upgrading its production capabilities to meet increasing demand for high-performance InP optoelectronic devices. Oxford Instruments’ advanced plasma etch and deposition processing systems will play a key role in this transformation by supporting AOI with fully automated 3-4-6-inch capable production systems for InP processes.

“AOI is expanding its U.S. manufacturing capacity in Texas to support demand for our optical transceivers in AI datacentres, and key suppliers like Oxford Instruments will help us continue to upgrade our fully automated production line,” said Fred Chang, Senior Vice President and North American General Manager at AOI. “With our combined technology, we can speed the processing of multiple wafer sizes, ranging from 3 to 6 inches, while improving overall quality and reducing costs.”

“AOI has been a valued long-term partner, and we are thrilled to have earned their trust as the chosen supplier for their production expansion and technology upgrades. Our unique high-temperature Electrostatic Chuck (ESC) design, which enables advanced processing capabilities, was a key factor in their decision. AOI also conducted an extensive vendor qualification process, including a visit to our brand-new purpose-built manufacturing facility in Bristol, UK, where we received high praise for our technology and production capabilities,” said Emiel Thijssen, Vice President of Sales and Business Development USA, Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology. “We are also investing significantly to ensure we continue to deliver world-class service capability in the Texas region, focusing on the availability of spares and expanding our field service and process engineering teams, to support the rapid expansion of leading manufacturers in the region such as AOI.”

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For media enquiries, please contact:
Grant Baldwin, Head of Marketing
Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology
E: [email protected]
About Oxford Instruments plc
Oxford Instruments provides academic and commercial organisations worldwide with market-leading scientific technology and expertise across its key market segments: Materials Analysis, Healthcare & Life Science and Semiconductors. Innovation is the driving force behind Oxford Instruments' growth and success, supporting its core purpose to accelerate the breakthroughs that create a brighter future for our world. The vigorous search for new ways to make our world greener, healthier and more productive is driving unprecedented levels of R&D investment in new materials and techniques to support productivity and decarbonisation worldwide, creating a significant opportunity for Oxford Instruments to grow.

Oxford Instruments holds a unique position to anticipate global drivers and connect academic researchers with commercial applications engineers, acting as a catalyst that powers real world progress. Founded in 1959 as the first technology business to be spun out from Oxford University, Oxford Instruments is now a global company listed on the FTSE250 index of the London Stock Exchange (OXIG).

For more information, visit www.oxinst.com

About AOI 
Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (AOI) is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced optical and HFC networking products that are the building blocks for AI datacentres, CATV and broadband fibre access networks around the world. AOI supplies this critical infrastructure to tier-one customers across cloud computing, CATV broadband, telecom, and FTTH markets. The company has R&D facilities in Atlanta, GA, and engineering and manufacturing facilities at its corporate headquarters in Sugar Land, TX, as well as in Taipei, Taiwan and Ningbo, China. For additional information, visit www.ao-inc.com. 

• Read more about OXFORD INSTRUMENTS TEAMS WITH AOI TO BOOST ITS OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICE MANUFACTURING WITH NEXT-GEN INDIUM PHOSPHIDE