Taiwan-based PCB manufacturers are set to record a particularly strong first-quarter 2021, judging from their significant revenue increases for January and clear order visibility through at least mid second-quarter 2021, according to industry sources.

IC substrate suppliers Unimicron Technology, Nan Ya PCB and Kinsus Interconnect Technology are all upbeat about their first-quarter revenue performance while maintaining full capacity utilization for the quarter. Though revenues from BT substrates for processing handset SoCs ae likely to fall slightly due to seasonality, the sources said, order visibility for ABF substrates for processing high-end CPUs, HPC, server and networking chips has been extended to the second half of the year, promising them stable revenue contributions.

HDI board makers including Compeq Manufacturing will also run their production lines at full capacity through the first quarter, and strong shipment pull-in momentum from Chinese handset vendors and robust demand for application to notebooks, tablets, memory modules and automotive electronics will result in robust shipments in the second quarter, the sources said.

Flexible PCB vendors including Zhen Ding Technology and Flexium Interconnect are expected to see their first-quarter 2021 shipments grow on year thanks to strong demand for non-handset applications such as those for MacBook and iPad devices, though their shipment peaks for iPhone 12 series have come to an end, the sources noted.

First-quarter 2021 shipments of traditional PCBs for applications ranging from automotive electronics to general household electrical appliances will also improve significantly from the past seasonal patterns, as makers have seen clear order visibility and strong demand for capacity support from clients, indicated the sources.

The sources added that PCB makers in Taiwan are expected to step up production of PCBs for high frequency/speed applications in the second quarter, apart from maintaining stable shipments to support stay-at-home economy and automotive applications.