As AI chip package sizes continue to grow, warpage issues in IC substrates have become more pronounced. Capacity constraints for low-CTE fiberglass cloth, a critical material used to address warpage, are forcing end customers, including Apple, Nvidia, Google, and AWS, into increasingly intense competition for supply, industry sources said.
PCB maker Tripod Technology said full-year 2025 revenue reached a record high, and it expects stable momentum heading into 2026 despite ongoing inventory adjustments among automotive customers. Strong demand from server and memory module applications is driving a steady increase in utilization rates, allowing first-quarter operations to defy traditional seasonality and remain in line with the previous quarter's revenue level.
As next-generation AI server platforms enter volume deployment, supply chain constraints are extending beyond high-bandwidth memory (HBM). Bottlenecks are increasingly emerging in printed circuit boards (PCBs) and critical upstream materials, according to DIGITIMES analysis.
Taiwanese DDI vendors rode a post-pandemic growth wave, but demand turned increasingly uncertain in 2025. Weak consumer end markets, slowing specification upgrades, and intensifying competition from Chinese rivals have sharply raised pressure on local suppliers.
Demand for AI chips is expected to remain strong in 2026, keeping the spotlight firmly on persistent shortages of high-end glass fiber cloth—an essential material in advanced circuit boards and chip packaging.
Taiwan-based passive component maker Yageo said Japan's Shibaura Electronics was officially delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange on January 13. Following the completion of the share consolidation, Yageo now holds 100% of the voting rights in Shibaura Electronics as of January 15.
