5G and the Market Demand for HDI PCB

With the penetration of 5G technology, electric products like smart phone, tablet PC, smart watch, etc. become more intelligent, much smaller-sized with higher frequency, higher speed and higher level integration. What’s more, number of components assembled on PCB also rises a lot. In the meanwhile, with the development of high-frequency, high-speed transmission and multi-function of 5G products, screen is required to be larger, resolution be better and power consumption be improved. However, currently there’s no breakthrough in battery technology, which means main board space has to be compressed.

Evolution of Smart Phone (from: iFixit, Techinsights, Teardown.com, HIS, Prismark Partners)

Due to high-level integration and no more space for PCB, circuits become more intensive, line width much narrower, aperture much smaller and insulation layer much thinner. It’s almost impossible for traditional HDI process capability to meet the requirements above. Therefore, Anylayer interconnection, which means more stack layers, smaller line spacing and more functional modules, plus SLP technology (mSAP) tend to be the best solution.

Development of High-end HDI & Introduction to mSAP, amSAP, SAP

Apple Inc. played an important role in technology development of smart phone. HDI Anylayer interconnection technology was firstly used by iPhone 4 and SLP (mSAP) has been employed since the production of iPhone8. Meanwhile, SLP was also used by Galaxy series launched by Samsung in 2019. From 2018, HUAWEI, OPPO, VIVO and XIAOMI, leading phone makers in China, began to use HDI Anylayer interconnection, and in 2019, HUAWEI P30 Pro 5G version, VIVO iQOO 5G version and OPPO Reno 5G version all employ HDI Anylayer interconnection plus sandwich structure of mainboard. In future, more and more phone makers will employ SLP.

Advanced Technology, High Quality, Superior Service

HDI Anylayer interconnect requires quite high process capability. Main difficulties for process lie in counter point between layers, laser drilling, via-filling plating and fine line processing, etc. Currently, HDI manufacturers in China, which have such process capability and mass production capacity, are Founder, Bomin, Victory Giant Tech and Kingshine, etc. We work closely with these factories.

Main equipment of factories

Owning to the improvement of PCB industry prosperity, production capacity was gradually transferred to China inland with the proportion in global PCB manufacture increasing to 23% in 2018 from 14% in 2011. Until 2019, many PCB factories in China work actively on investing in HDI production lines and enhancing HDI capacity. However, expansion of high-end production lines requires large investment, high-end technology and 1-2 years’ preparation, that’s why large-volume capacity can’t be achieved in short term.

Victory Giant Tech foresaw the shortage of high-end HDI capacity when the era of 5G comes, therefore, one year in advance, made preparation for enhancing capacity of high-end HDI Anylayer interconnection. In August 2019, monthly capacity of HDI (3+N+3) reached 45,000 ㎡ and till Q3 of 2020, monthly capacity of SLP (mSAP) is expected to reach 35,000 ㎡.

The newly-built intelligent factory owns high-level automation, which brings high efficiency, good quality, large capacity and low cost.