The production capacity utilization rates of high-end HDI PCB boards at Taiwan-based PCB makers are set to rise in the second quarter of 2014 due to strong demand from Samsung Electronics, HTC and China-based smartphone vendors, according to industry sources.
Compeq Manufacturing and Unimicron Technology are the two Taiwan-based PCB makers that have entered Samsung's supply chain, said the sources, noting that Compeq's HDI PCB board lines are currently operating at over 80% of their capacity.
Although Compeq and Unimicron are not the major HDI PCB board suppliers for Samsung, strong sales of the Galaxy S5 will ensure steady orders for the two firms, said the sources.
Compeq's new PCB plant in Chungqing will come online in the third quarter of 2014, but the plant's output to the company's total production will be limited, indicated the sources.
Unimicron plans to invest NT$100 million (US$3.31 million) for capacity expansion in 2014, but only 20-30% of the new investments will be used to ramp up HDI PCB boards.
