Trends in portable electronics continue to drive product development in the line.
The miniaturization trend in portable electronics continues to drive Taiwan’s flexible PCB industry. Makers emphasize multilayer, thin-profile, fine-pitch and high-density configurations to suit the compact structural requirements of devices.
To achieve their objectives, manufacturers adopt new materials and production processes. Career Technology (Mfg) Co. Ltd uses liquid crystal polymers for their low loss attribute to help improve signal transmission in Wi-Fi-based applications. The supplier also employs 2mil polyimide base material, which promises better impedance. For external examination, it adopts automatic optical inspection.
Enterprises leverage the island’s industrial chain for manufacturing inputs such as polyimide and polyester utilized in substrates and protective films or coverlays. FCCLs and copper foils also abound in the area. Taimide, Azotek, Taiflex, Microcosm, ThinFlex, Asia Electronic, Nanya Plastic and ChangChun PetroChemical are among the major suppliers.
FCCLs are based on polyimide or PET. PCBs adopting the last come in single-sided versions, while polyimide kinds are available in both single- and double-sided configurations. In shipment volume, polyimide units lead. Three-layer FCCLs still occupy the mainstream as two-layer counterparts are in short supply with increasing demand.
As regards manufacturing techniques, laser ablation, roll-to-roll or R2R, and interstitial via-hole or IVH are adopted.
Laser ablation enables thinner layering. R2R allows a slimmer form factor and greater density. Variants of the latter method include R2R button-through hole, polyimide coats, microvia filling, polyimide semiadditive process and via hole filling. The second simplifies production and contributes to enhanced resolution, making it suitable for high-end and value-added applications.
Increasing demand from HDI flexible boards is boosting the adoption of IVH because the process increases the PCB layout space. The line width and spacing can reach 0.16mil, and via hole 2mil.
Flexible PCB companies in Taiwan are also following the trend for slimmer, transparent and high-frequency boards.
Fueling these efforts is the island’s sustained CAGR in 2010-12, which is expected to reach 20 percent.
Smartphones, tablet PCs and other portable devices are the major drivers of this development.
Each handset, for instance, requires six to eight flexible PCBs to connect the panel, motherboard, camera module, pushbuttons and memory card slot. A tablet computer needs 13 to 15, and its notebook counterpart four to six to link the panel, motherboard, hinge, optical disc drive and camera. An e-book reader utilizes 16 such boards.
The local industry also benefits from the shift in business as a result of the earthquake in Japan and the flooding in Thailand.
An increasing share of the global PCB production value is another impetus for flexible PCBs. The latter category represented nearly 10 percent in 2000 and rose to about 16 percent in 2010. By 2015, its share will reach 17 percent.
The selection from Taiwan consists of single-, double- and multilayer variants, with the second dominating output. The main application segments are consumer electronics, computers, communications, automotive, medical, military, aviation and aerospace.
The island has a manufacturing pool of 30 to 40 suppliers for flexible PCBs.
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