In the era of artificial intelligence (AI), printed circuit boards (PCBs) move from behind the scenes to the center of the stage. The 2025 Taiwan Circuit Board Show (TPCA Show) has come to an end, and many industry executives are unanimously optimistic. Benefiting from the explosion in demand for AI servers and high-speed computing, "PCB will usher in the next golden decade." It has also set off trends such as upstream material shortages, supply chain integration, and the Evergrande trend.
The surge in demand for AI servers, data centers and edge computing has led to structural growth in circuit boards. Zeng Zizhang, chairman of Xinxing Electronics, said bluntly that "AI will flourish for more than 10 years"; Li Dingzhuan, chief operating officer of Zhending Group, said that PCB will usher in a golden decade and will be the invisible protagonist in the computing power war; Shen Qingfang, chairman of Zhending-KY (4958), even described this as "a great opportunity for PCB not seen in a century", and the industry should unite to accelerate transformation.
In the AI era, what role does PCB play?PCB is known as the "mother of the electronics industry". From mobile phones and computers to AI servers and cloud data centers, everything depends on its stable operation, but it has received less attention in the past. Shen Qingfang pointed out that the role of PCB is moving from "signal connection" to "system carrier". As AI servers integrate components such as chips and high-bandwidth memories, PCBs are required to be larger in size, with higher layers and more stringent heat dissipation and signal integrity, doubling the manufacturing challenges.
Zhending-KY general manager Jian Zhenfu said that high-end AI server motherboards have more than 130 single-board manufacturing processes and more than 100,000 holes. "Any slight deviation may affect performance." The PCB manufacturing process is evolving towards the semiconductor level, and human intervention needs to be reduced to ensure yield.
In addition, AI high-speed computing promotes the advancement of packaging technology. For example, the CoWoP (Chip-on-Wafer-on-Platform) process has attracted attention, requiring PCBs to have high-precision signal and power wiring capabilities. Copper foil substrates and low thermal expansion materials have therefore become the focus.
Taiwan’s strategic position in the global PCB industryAccording to statistics, the output value of Taiwan-owned PCBs is one of the best in the world. Taiwan leads the global market share in the semiconductor and packaging and testing fields with 69% and 51% respectively, and IC substrates also account for 35%. As AI and heterogeneous integration accelerate, market share is expected to continue to rise, and the strategic position of Taiwan PCB is bound to become even more critical.
Industry players are optimistic that under the AI trend, PCB has become another trillion-dollar industry in Taiwan and will continue to grow along with the semiconductor industry.
Why is PCB starting a materials war?The AI server boom drives demand for high-end PCBs and also exposes material supply bottlenecks. High-performance fiberglass cloth and ultra-low profile copper foil (Hyper Very Low Profile, HVLP) are in short supply. Among them, low-coefficient of thermal expansion (Low-CTE) fiberglass cloth has structural gaps, and HVLP4 copper foil has become the key to upgrading AI servers. Li Sixian, chairman of Taiwan Copper Foil Factory Jinju, pointed out that HVLP4 will become the mainstream of the market next year. "Currently, supply is still in short supply, and demand will be strong in the next two to three years."
TPCA statistics show that in the first half of 2025, Taiwan's hard board material output value reached NT$195.9 billion, an annual increase of 6.8%; equipment output value was NT$36.06 billion, an annual increase of 33.4%, mainly due to demand driven by the AI server PCB drilling process.
Drill needle factory Jianidian executives said that AI has promoted drilling specifications to a higher level, and "next year will still be a good year." He also emphasized that high-density, high-speed transmission design has strict requirements on hole position accuracy and quality.
Supply chain seizes AI business opportunities, Taiwanese factories fightPCB factories actively collaborate with material and equipment manufacturers on research and development to accelerate material maturity and process optimization, forming a new industrial ecosystem. The industry is optimistic that Taiwan will connect the new pattern of "semiconductors + advanced packaging + PCB" and become a key force in the "post-Moore era".
Yang Qiling, senior deputy general manager of Quanta and general manager of Yunda Technology, believes that the demand for AI continues to advance. Starting from system manufacturing, Quanta very much hopes to cooperate with PC board manufacturers and supply chains for long-term development strategies and closely connect the design end and the manufacturing end. "Only by integrating the supply chain can we move forward on the AI wave."
Jiang Xugao, a partner at the research institute Prismark, said bluntly, "To seize AI business opportunities, you have to fight in groups, not alone." Upstream collaboration and supply stability will become key competitiveness.
PCB production expansion, the big trend is establishedAs AI computing power continues to improve, PCB is no longer a supporting role behind the scenes, but a key engine that promotes AI infrastructure construction. From materials to packaging, from processes to ecosystems, Taiwanese manufacturers are actively seizing business opportunities in the AI era and are optimistic about strong demand. Zhending-KY, Taiwan Optoelectronics, Xinxing, Jinju, Jiandian, Jinxiang Electronics, etc. have stepped up production expansion.
Zhending-KY continues to expand high-end production capacity in China, Thailand, and Kaohsiung, Taiwan, including expanding AI high-end HDI and HLC production capacity in the Chinese factory, and debottlenecking high-end flexible boards; the Thailand factory is also accelerating the construction of a second factory after important customers in the server and optical communication fields passed certification; Kaohsiung AI Park has built high-end ABF carrier boards and HLC+HDI production capacity, and is expected to enter trial production by the end of the year.
Taiwan Optoelectronics also announced that it will expand its production capacity by 70% within three years and enter mass production of M9 generation materials in the second half of 2026. Chairman Dong Dingyu said that orders will still be strong next year and the company will continue its "full production and full sales" trend, with production expansion mainly focused on Taiwan, Southeast Asia and China.