Taiwan-based Nan Ya PCB is expected to double its 2020 capex from NT$3.5 billion (US$114.8 billion) in 2019 to expand capacity for ABF substrates for 5G network applications and SiP substrates for mobile devices, according to industry sources.

Modified polyimide (MPI) and liquid crystal polymer (LCP) materials for smartphone antennas are expected to coexist, with the former being adopted mainly for Android models, and the latter likely to be increasingly used by Apple for its iPhones from 2020 onwards, according to industry sources.

Notebook vendors are ready to adopt mini LED backlighting for their devices, paving the way for the technology to move beyond public signage to consumer electronics, according to industry sources.

The prospect of 5G definitely looks promising, but players in the supply chain have to make sure they have sufficient support from one another in order to fully enjoy the opportunities promised by the arrival of 5G. Chipmakers and their partners are gearing up to build key...

Taiwan-based inductor maker Cyntec will see its capacity increase by 40% in early 2020 when its new production lines become operational to fulfill ever-increasing orders, according to company chairman Steven Liu.

Mobile chipmakers are gearing up to secure stronger support from supply chain partners aiming to gain a greater presence in the market for 5G smartphones whose shipments are estimated to reach at least 200 million units in 2020, according to industry sources.

With the arrival of 5G's commercialization, Taiwan- and China-based makers of components including PCB and cooling modules, are expected to see rising orders from the segment, which will also improve their operations in 2020. Meanwhile, as true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds have grown popular among...

Panasonic has agreed to sell its semiconductor business to Nuvoton Technology, a Taiwan-based MCU specialist majority owned by memory chipmaker Winbond Electronics.

China's leading PCB makers Shennan Circuits and Wus Printed Circuit are expected to see their net earnings for 2019 double from 2018 on robust demand for high-layer-count (HLC) PCBs with higher margins for use in servers as well as 5G base stations that are under massive construction in China, according...

With its decision to sell its chipmaking operations to Taiwan's Nuvoton Technology, Panasonic will leave the chipmaking industry where it was once among the world's top-10 players in the 90s.

UMC may have quit the expensive race to advance manufactuing nodes, but it has been keen to develop specialty process. The latest development reportedly sees th pure-play foundry enter risk production for 5G FR switches at its 12-inch...

As motherboard upgrades at 5G smartphones are gaining momentum, Taiwan-based CCL maker is poised to compete with Japanese peer Panasonic to benefit more from the first wave of 5G application opportunities in 2020, especially those for anylayer HDI boards.

Chip-on-film (COF) substrate supplier JMC Electronics has seen orders for large-size display driver IC packaging slow down in the fourth quarter of 2019, for which the company is likely to post a 10-15% sequential decline in revenues, according to industry sources.

Leadframe specialist Chang Wah Technology (CWTC) plans to expand its offerings to include those for power devices in 2020 and is also set to kick off a NT$3 billion (US$98.38 million) capacity expansion project at its plant in southern Taiwan, according to industry sources.

PCB maker HannStar Board has posted the highest profit in 10 years in the third quarter of 2019, with gross margin nearing 20% and net earnings shooting up 62.17% on year to NT$1.514 billion (US$49.64 million) on total revenues of NT$11.82 billion, up 9.5% sequentially.

The memory market market is expected to recover next year, but suppliers remain cautious about expanding output. Samsung's bit growth for NAND flash output reportedly may drop to as low as 25%. In the foundry sector, China-based Wuhan...

China has set up a CNY147.2 billion (US$20.94 billion) national fund aimed at spurring transformations and upgrades at its manufacturing industries to turn the country into a smart production center, according to industry sources.

Major Taiwan-based flexible PCB specialists have had their respective production lines for LCP (liquid crystal polymer) antenna boards ready for commercial runs as they are eyeing the emerging business opportunities that is coming along with the 5G establishment, according to industry sources.

The handset market is welcoming the arrival of 5G smartphones, shipments for which may range from 200 million to 300 million units in 2020. Such volumes for 5G smartphones mean 4G devices will still be here to stay. IC desingers believe 4G phone replacement demand from users not yet ready to upgrade...

IC substrate maker Uniflex Technology expects shipments of NFC (near-field communication) flexible board modules and mini LED substrates to expand significantly, boosting overall revenues and profits for 2020.

Taiwan-based leadframe maker Jih Lin Technology expects its revenues to resume growth in 2020 on renewed demand for diverse leadframes from international IDMs for packaging automotive power devices such as MOSFET, IGBT, and WBG semiconductors including SiC and GaN components and for processing logic...

Chinese handset vendors are eager to adopt anylayer HDI boards for their high-end smartphones, but they currently have to source such boards from outside of China despite the country's bid to raise self-sufficiency for electronics components. Taiwan-based PCB makers Compeq...

Discrete power components supplier Panjit International is set to release its second-generation SiC diodes in February 2020 to tap the lucrative market for wide band-gap (WBG) power devices that is just taking off, according to the firm's chief strategy officer Jasper Lee.

Chin-Poon Industrial remains cautious about demand for automotive electronics, which is unlikely to pick up until 2020, according to the PCB manufacturer.

Chinese handset vendors are keen on utilizing anylayer HDI boards as mainboards for high-end smartphones adopting 7nm APs, and Taiwan-based PCB makers including Compeq Manufacturing and Unimicron are in a better position to meet the growing demand thanks to their higher yield rates and technology levels...