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14 SMT Magazine • February 2016 terms of country, China is becoming the largest user of 3D printers. New development in intelligent robot tech- nology and robot-human interaction to deliver synergistic performance will also make foot- prints on the advanced technology map. Implementation of lead-free electronics is maturing, albeit with a few exemptions. The composition of lead-free alloys will not stay stagnant. Based on the fundamental metallurgy of solder materials, variations from the tin-cop- per-silver, tin-silver, tin-copper systems by mi- nor tweakings will deliver different properties, thus target performance. Composition of lead- free alloys will proliferate. Inventory and supply chain management will have heightened importance and priority to the manufacturing efficiency and cost. On the SMT production floor, winners will go to the companies that adroitly command their operations to near perfection with man- ufacturing finesse coupled with robust knowl- edge, meaning close to defect-free operation. Commanding a defect-free production hinges on the sound basics: best practices in selecting materials, optimizing, and establishing the pro- cess with realistic process window. upcoming appearance: Dr. Hwang will present a lecture on "Pre- venting Manufacturing Defects and Product Failures" at IPC APEX EXPO, on March 17, 2016 in Las Vegas. SMT Dr. Hwang, an international busi- nesswoman, international speaker, and business and technology advi- sor, is a pioneer and long-standing contributor to SMT manufacturing since its inception as well as to the lead-free electronics implementa- tion. Among her many awards and honors, she is inducted to the WIT International Hall of Fame, elected to the National Academy of Engineer- ing, and named an r&D-Stars-to-Watch. Having held senior executive positions with Lockheed Martin corp., Sherwin Williams co., ScM corp, IEM Corp., she is currently CEO of H-Technolo- gies Group providing business, technology and manufacturing solutions. She serves as chair- man of Assessment Board of DoD Army Research Laboratory, Commerce Department's Export Council, National Materials and Manufacturing Board, various national panels/committees, inter- national leadership positions, and the board of Fortune-500 NYSE companies and civic and uni- versity boards. She is the author of 450+ publica- tions and several textbooks, and an international speaker and author on trade, business, education, and social issues. Her formal education includes four academic degrees as well as Harvard Business School Executive program and columbia univer - sity Corporate Governance Program. Further info: www.JennieHwang.com. The lab of Prof. Hong Tang at the Department of Electrical Engineering in Yale university has de- vised a process of nanofabrication to create a sili- con chip that contains all the components needed for a quantum information processor. The two essential requirements for a scalable quantum information processor are quantum inter- ference and single-photon detectors. The chip that the researchers designed contains a nanophotonic waveguide, which can guide light into small spaces and to wherever is needed on the chip. It also has a directional coupler that can split a light beam into two identical beams, or conversely, combine two beams into one output. With this research, carsten Schuck, post-doctor - al researcher and lead author of the paper, which was published in Nature Communications, said the research team should eventually realize a program- mable optical quantum processor that can run a quantum algorithm, allowing them to solve prob- lems difficult for classical computers. He added that the same technology could also be useful for other applications, such as building extremely sensitive sensors or secure communication devices. Quantum Technology on a Chip NeW Year outlook: electroNics HardWare