Multilayer PCBs

	Mainstream models are 4, 6 and 8-layer PCBs with 3 to 4mil track width and space
	In this report   •   Main story   •   Prices on downturn   •   Makers ride out challenges   •   Industry boasts small but dynamic supplier base

Makers roll out smaller PCBs with low impedance as enhancements to the blind and buried vias techniques continue. Price cuts are foreseen to persist throughout 2009.

China’s PCB industry has been on the upswing for 30 years, peaking in 2007 when overall production reached 150 million square meters for a total value of $15.5 billion. This represented 30 percent of the world total that year, according to China Printed Circuits Association the (CPCA).

Multilayer boards account for half of China’s total output of PCBs. The line is currently pursued by more than 1,000 suppliers, whose monthly output has been growing at about 10 percent annually. As of August 2008, output ranged from 5,000 to 100,000sqm a month.

The main multilayer PCB sourcing hubs are the Pearl River Delta region, which consists of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Foshan, Huizhou, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing—all in Guangdong; and the Yangtze River Delta region, made up of Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu, where the world’s largest makers of electronic products are also located. The established export infrastructure in these areas sustains the supply chain for multilayer board makers. Some of the major players are China Circuit Technology (Shantou) Corp., Founder PCB, Wuzhou Circuit Group Ltd, China Circuit Technology (Shantou) Corp., Tianjin Printronics Circuit Corp. and Dalian Pacific Multi-layer PCB Co. Ltd. A fourth are large-scale manufacturers with annual sales of over $50 million. Medium and small enterprises post up to $50 million and less than $10 million, respectively.

Consumer electronics, communication, automotive, medical, industrial and aviation applications drive production in China. Europe and the US are the main export markets, but makers are exploring South Korea and the Middle East. The typical multilayer supplier operates in accordance with ISO 14001, ISO 9001, TS16949 and UL.