Global Perspectives: The Future of PCB Technology

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

It has been a while since we talked to a multi-company Asian-based PCB fabricator. Based on the markets served, Asia-based fabricators already utilize the highest-tech PCB processing equipment and materials. Where does that leave the rest of the world? Joe Dickson, an executive at Wus in China, candidly shares his observations, experiences, and perspective of an American working for an Asian-based PCB fabricator, envisioning a realistic future for the PCB fabrication industry.

Marcy LaRont: Joe, Wus is an Asian large-volume PCB manufacturer. Can the technology gap be bridged with the West, particularly the United States, where many semiconductor companies are still headquartered?

Joe Dickson: Yes, I believe it is bridged with significant investment and aggressive scaling up toward next-generation technology, not what is being done today. I’m not sure that makes sense for Western fabricators though, for quick-turn low volume. But it’s possible, especially as Asian volume suppliers don’t want to be in the prototype business.

There are two issues I see. First, technology discussions in the West focus on chips and PCBs as separate roadmaps. The other, larger issue is that there seems to be a general lack of support for an ecosystem of collaboration. There is no interest in collaborating with Asian fabricators who are doing very high-technology fabrication work. Speaking for Wus, some Asian fabricators are happy to share their experience and processes with their American counterparts, so that the developments can go to volume faster.

LaRont: Why would a company like Wus welcome that collaboration if it is largely a one-sided gain?

Dickson: American fabricators originally taught most Asian suppliers how to build printed circuit boards (apart from Japan). Wus CEO Chris Wu said he would be happy to collaborate on technological process information. Having quick-turn technologies to evaluate is beneficial for the entire ecosystem.

LaRont: Some months back, the semiconductor industry hosted a conference with NASA to discuss replicating the Asian supply chain in the U.S. The meeting also discussed the movement toward ceramics, glass, and silicon substrates. What do you see?

Dickson: Rigid or non-organic substrates present a challenge to plate/laminate the interconnects. You must build up from them. For example, there is no ceramic multi-lamination process. You sinter or fuse the ceramic and build multiple processes on top of it. While excellent, it's extremely expensive. Beyond that, how do you get the power into it? So, I agree that ceramic may be good for the desired form factor, but with the data demands of “Training AI,” you will need about 18 of these expensive GPUs together, not just one. If you make that structure as a single element, you can’t necessarily use it for other applications. How much volume must there be before it’s cost-effective?

To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the September 2024 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.