Taiwan-based Eternal Materials continue to enjoy stable growth momentum for PCB-use dry film photoresist and is optimistic that its sales of both PIC (photoimageable coverlay) for flexible PCB (FPCB) and photoresist for packaging substrates will pick up steadily.

Eternal is now the world's largest vendor of dry film photoresist for PCB production recording a global market share of 33-34%, higher than international peers Asahi, Hitachi and DuPont, having acquired Shipley in the US, Japan's Nichigo-Morton, and Elga-Europe, according to industry sources. It also boasts strong customer bases in Taiwan and China.

Eternal's photoresist division director Johnny Liao said at a recent company investors conference that its order visibility for electronics materials has been clear for months ahead amid strong demand for PCB and substrates. Besides dry film photoresist for rigid boards for handset applications, its PIC is increasingly applied to FPCB production as the material boasts high resolution and evenness and can help FPCB makers boost yield rates and cut production costs.

Liao said that PIC penetration in handsets and non-handset applications are expected to surge significantly in the next 1-3 years, adding growth momentum to his company.

He continued Eternal's Japanese subsidiary Nikko-Materials will see its shipments of vacuum lamination machines grow remarkably thanks to strong demand for ABF substrates and FCBG substrates.