What is PCB Laminate?
PCB laminate is what holds the layers together. Traditionally, there are four layers that make up the board: substrate, copper, soldermask, and silkscreen (from bottom to top). PCB laminates are developed by curing under pressure and temperatures of cloth using thermoset resin to create the final piece of uniform thickness.
With FR-4 being the most common material used, a type of PCB laminate typically always look like this: FR-4. These numbers and letters are the characteristics of the laminate produced. And there are Some important characteristics, including fire retardant, dielectric constant, loss factor, tensile strength, shear strength, glass transition temperature, and how much thickness changes with temperature (the Z-axis expansion coefficient). However, there are a wide range of material such as nhanced epoxy laminates, ultra-low moisture materials, high-frequency ceramic filled laminates, UL 94V-0 rated, RoHS compliant, and more.
Top 20 PCB laminate material suppliers in the world
1. Showa Denko Materials
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Established time: 1939
Company website: https://www.mc.showadenko.com
Showa Denko Materials Co Ltd (Showa Denko Materials) is a world famous conglomerate, producing products in petroleum, chemical, inorganic, aluminum, metal, electronic information and other fields. It carries out the manufacture and sale of advanced components and systems such as energy storage devices and systems, and electronic components and aims to provide practical, safe and satisfying products and services to the society.
● Important history of the company:
In 1986, started the manufacture and sales of aluminum cylinders
In 1988, entered the hard disk business
In 2005, mass-produced the world’s first perpendicular magnetic recording hard disk
In 2009, began to produce coolers for power semiconductors
In 2015, won the Thomson Reuters “2015 global top 100 innovative enterprise award”
2. MITSUI KINZOKU
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Established time: 1950
Company website: https://www.mitsui-kinzoku.com
Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd (Common name: MITSUI KINZOKU) is a manufacturer and distributor of functional engineered materials, including manufacturing and sale of functional engineered materials and electronic materials, nonferrous metal smelting, minerals resource development, precious metal recycling, raw material related businesses, manufacturing and sale of automotive parts/components, etc. As of March 31, 2022, its sales is 633,346 millions of yen.
Main products and application:
● Rare Metals: Tantalumu and Niobium Oxides and Carbides
● Engineered Powders: Passstran®（Tin oxide (SnO2), Zinc oxide (ZnO)）
● Battery Materials: Hydrogen storage (absorbing) alloy (MH alloy)
● Copper foil with carrier film
● Resin-coated copper foil
● Material of capacitors embedded in PWBs
● Zinc Unit: Zinc（EMC™, HSC-SHG™, HSC-PW™）
● Lead Unit:Lead（EMK Bismuth）, Antimony trioxide
Products manufactured by MITSUI KINZOKU have wide rang applications such as IoT / Electronics, electronic devices, primary batteries, automobiles, recycling technologies, building materials and automotive structural materials.
3. Panasonic
Headquarters: Kadoma, Osaka, Japan
Established time: 1918
Company website: https://www.na.panasonic.com
Panasonic (English name: Panasonic), one of the world’s first purpose-driven brands, is a Japanese multinational company with more than 230 companies around the world. Panasonic’s business scope is not limited to production, but also develops a variety of businesses including solutions such as services and information systems , its products mainly involve home appliances, digital audio-visual electronics, office products, aviation and many other fields. As early as 2001, its annual sales totaled more than 61 billion US dollars, ranking 26th among the world’s top 500 manufacturing companies.
Panasonic is committed to innovating new, sustainable technologies that create a healthier planet and focuses on five important areas, including Energy, Mobility, Industry, Retail, Lifestyle
Products and service for factory equipment, examples:
● Precision Clutch Tools
● Mechanical Pulse Tools
● Torque Measurement & Micro Screwdrivers, etc.
2. Electronics Assembly Manufacturing Technologies: for (SMT), (PTH), Odd Form & End of Line, Microelectronics and Metrology
● Screen printing
● Component placement.
3. Welding Equipment & Robotics:
● Active GIII TAWERS Arc Welding Robot System
● LAPRISS Remote Laser Welding Robot System
4. HC
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Established time: 1962
Company website: https://www.hitachi.com
Hitachi Chemical’s parent organizations are Showa Denko, Hitachi. Hitachi is a global 500 comprehensive multinational group from Japan. Its business covers the fields of electricity, energy, industry, circulation, water, urban construction, finance, public, medical and health, as well as health care that provides a healthy life through health management, diagnosis and medical technology.
Hitachi Chemical co., Ltd. (HC) was formally established in 1962. It is mainly engaged in the manufacture, process and sale of semiconductor,display-related materials, printed wiring boards, copper clad laminate, photosensitive dry films, functional polymeric materials, adhesive films, carbon products, ceramics and automotive related products.
Some Products provided by HC, examples:
5. UACJ
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Established time: 1933
Company website: https://ufo.uacj-group.com
UACJ Foil Corporation is a company mainly engaged in the manufacture, process and sale of automotive components, foil products, rolled, extruded, cast, forged and processed products. UACJ Foil products are essential to modern lifestyles, and include items such as household aluminum foil, packaging for snacks and pharmaceuticals, home insulation, and automotive and electrical parts.
UACJ Foil Corporation business:
● Manufacturing and sales of rolled products in aluminum, copper, tin, lead and other metals.
● Manufacturing, processing and sale of products derived from the above listed rolled materials.
● Processing and sale of paper, cellophane and other film products.
6. JX NMM
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Established time: 1905
Company website: https://www.jx-nmm.com
JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation is a Japanese industrial manufacturer and mining company. Since its founding in 1905, the group has worked on creating new value, contributing to the development of a sustainable economy and society through creation and innovation in the areas of resources and materials.
The Businesses of JX NMM is focusing primarily on nonferrous metals, copper and rare metals. And these operations cover the full range from resource development, and smelting and refining, to the develop and manufacture advanced materials for the IoT and AI. The Group’s operations also encompass recycling from end-of-life electronic equipment and devices.
● 2010, Holding company, JX Holdings, established with the merger of Nippon Mining Holdings and Nippon Oil Nikko Metals renamed as JX Nippon Mining & Metals
Semiconductor and sensor-related products:
Sputtering Targets for Semiconductors
AlSc Sputtering Target
Sputtering Targets for Magnetic Devices/Optical Films
High Purity Chlorides
● For Back-end (Assembly) Process :
Copper Alloys for Lead Frames
Surface Treatment Agents
Upinorg (high-purity copper sulfate)
Electroless UBM Plating Service
Low α Tin
7. Sumitomo Metal Mining
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Established time: 1590
Company website: https://www.smm.co.jp
Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd., more than 430 years of history, is a company mainly engaged in the exploration and development of mining, non-ferrous metal smelting and refining, and advanced materials businesses and the manufacture and sale of non-ferrous metal products, semiconductor and functional materials.
Sumitomo Metal Mining businesses: Three-businesses collaboration
● Smelting & Refining Business: Providing a stable supply of the metals with advanced technological capabilities
● Materials Business: Developing and producing battery materials, such as cathode material for rechargeable batteries
8. Solus Advanced Materials
Headquarters: South Korea
Established time: 2019
Company website: https://www.solusadvancedmaterials.com
Solus Advanced Materials is a company that provides material development and technology solutions, creating new values through continual new material development and technology innovation and provide solutions to change our customers’ future.
Solus Advanced Materials, based on a long-term strategy for copper foil, display materials, and biomaterials, provides its customers battery copper foil, electronic materials, PCB, natural-based materials, etc.
Solus Advanced Materials Business:
1. Battery copper foil
● Standard battery copper foil (BF-PLSP): (Thickness: 6~18um)
● High-elongation battery copper foil (SR-PLSP): (Thickness: 6~12um)
● High-strength battery foil (HTS-PLSP): (Thickness: 6~12um)
2. Copper foil
● For high-frequency circuits (Antenna, Etc.)
● For IC and USIM cards
● High-performance multi-layered board (Network board)
● Flexible substrate (Smart phone, Etc.)
3. Electro Materials
● HBL (Hole Blocking Layer)
● ETL (Electron Transporting Layer)
4. BIO
● for Skincare cosmetics
● Makeup cosmetics
● Liposome source
● Non-medical cosmetics
9. LG Innotek
Headquarters: South Korea
Established time: 1970
Company website: https://www.lginnotek.com
LG Innotek was Korea’s first integrated electronic parts company and has grown into a global materials and parts company leading the global market. LG’s main businesses include developing, manufacturing and selling core materials and accessories for the mobile, display, semiconductor, automotive and Internet of Things sectors.
In particular, camera modules for smartphones, substrates for displays and optical masks, and semiconductor substrates for communications are leading the global market.
LG Innotek business:
● Substrate materials: Package substrate, FC-BGA (a kind of high specification, high level of multilayer substrate), tape substrate
● Electrical components: Connectivity solution, autonomous driving solution, electrification solution, lighting solution
● Electronic components: Power solution, connectivity solution
10. Jima Copper
Headquarters: Shanghai, China
Established time: 2011
Company website: https://www.jimacopper.com
Jima Copper is a professional supplier of high-precision copper and copper alloy series of foil roll brand, including 4-800μm thick copper foil, maximum width 1580 mm, and specializes in the research, development, promotion and application of new technology of rolling copper foil. These products have a wide rang of application such as electromagnetic shielding, heat dissipation, graphene conductive film production, aerospace, flexible copper plate, lithium battery, 5G communications, LED, intelligent vehicles, drones, wearable electronics.
Products and details, example：
1. PCB Copper Foil
Double Side Treated Copper Foil For HDI
● Thickness: 12um 18um 35um 70um
● Standard Width: 1290mm, We can cutting as size requirement
● ID: 76 mm, 152 mm
2. STD Standard Copper Foil
● Thickness: 12um 15um 18um 35um 70um 105um 140um
● Standard Width: 1290mm, can be cutting as size request
● Wooden box package
3. Rolled Copper Foil
Rolled Copper Foil For Graphene
● Graphene thermal conductive film/Grapheme conductive film production
● Flexible graphene smartphone
11. TCF
Headquarters: Taiwan,China
Established time: 1980
Company website: http://www.tcf.com.tw
Taiwan Copper Foil Co., LTD. (TCF) is a Japanese-owned company invested by Mitsui Metal Mining in 1980. It is the first manufacturer of electroplated copper foil for PCB industry in Taiwan.
TCF mainly provide copper foil products:
● High-speed signal transmission substrate application
● Automotive high reliability substrate application
● Heat dissipation/high current substrate applications
● Module substrate application
12. JHL
Headquarters: Dongguan,Guangdong, China
Established time: 2000
Company website: https://jinhuaal.en.china.cn
Dongguan Jinhualong Electronic Material (JHL) is a Chinese manufacturer, JHL provides products including nickel plating on aluminum coil, copper plating on aluminum coil, tin plating on aluminium coil, silver plating on aluminium coil, gold plating on aluminum coil, anodizing of aluminum foil, etc.
JHL products and services, examples:
Cadmium plating
Precision thick electroless nickel plating
Powder coating
PH stainless steel
Titanium alloy plating
Die cutting/joining
Back glue
Film type impact absorption acrylic foam
13. Toppan
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Established time: 1900
Company website: https://www.toppan.com
Toppan Printing is a Japanese global printing company, which has extended and advanced applications for printing technologies to develop a unique system that provides solutions based on these leading-edge technologies such as packaging, security solutions, semiconductor solutions, display components, and etc.
Business segments and some products:
● Securities and cards: investment security certificates, passbooks, product coupons lottery tickets, data printing, IC cards
● Commercial printing: posters, catalogs, pamphlets, flyers, etc.
● Publications printing: magazines, books, dictionaries, electronic publications
● Business forms: RFID and NFC solutions, digital-media, integrated slips
● Packaging: flexible packaging materials, functional packaging and materials
● Functional products: solar cell backsheets, molded plastic products for electronic devices, materials for recording information, components for secondary batteries
● Interior decor materials: decorative paper/films, interior fixtures, decorative panels
● Displays: LCD color filters, anti-reflection films, electromagnetic wave shield mesh
● Semiconductors: photomasks for semiconductors, design services for LSI, device OEM, etched products, printed circuit boards(PCB)
14. Kinsus
Headquarters: Taiwan, China
Established time: 1989
Company website: https://www.kinsus.com.tw/
Kinsus Interconnect Technology Corp. is a leader company principally engaged in carrier plates and printed circuit boards (PCBs). Its Technology’s investment in the R&D and manufacturing technology of packaging substrates, including technologies such as thin lines, thin thickness, and complex structures.
There are some products and applications:
● Plastic ball gate array package substrate (PBGA): For microprocessor, controller, Specialized function IC, computer chipset
● Flip Chip Chip Scale Package Substrate (FCCSP): For application processor, Network communication IC
● Flip Chip Ball Gate Array Package Substrate (FCBGA): For microprocessor, image processor
15. Simmtech
Headquarters: South Korea
Established time: 1987
Company website: http://eng.simmtech.com
Simmtech is a company based out of South Korea, concentrating on developing and manufacturing High-layer PCBs for semiconductors. Its annex SIMMTECH R&D strived to develop advanced product’s preceding technology and next generation new product, whose core technology as Memory module substrate and IC Package substrate.
1987, established
1990s, started to develop SIMM PCB
2000, was chosen “sole partner” for developing PCB for the advanced DRAM of Rambus Corp. in America, which is the world-best semiconductor design company
2003, developed BOC(Board on Chip)
Products and applications:
SSD module PCB
Memory module PCB
Multi-layer module PCB
Automotive board
BOC(board on chip )
FMC(flash memory card)
Automotive substrate
16. Kyocera
Headquarters: Kyoto, Japan
Established time: 1959
Company website: https://global.kyocera.com
Kyocera is a Japanese company specializing in the development and production of precision ceramics and electronics. Kyocera provides products and services that satisfy customers and puts “customer first” in the first place.
1959, founded as a company specializing in fine ceramics;
1972, received 18th Okochi Memorial Grand Production Prize for developing multi-layered ceramic packages for large-scale integrated circuits;
1982, four affiliates, including Cybernet Electronics Corp., merge with Kyoto Ceramic Co., Ltd. to form Kyocera Corporation.
Products for Business to Business:
Solar power generating systems for public / industrial use
Information systems and telecommunication services
Power tool
M2M modules
Connectors
Crystal devices
Power semiconductor devices
17. Zhen Ding
Headquarters: Cayman Islands
Established time: 2006
Company website: https://www.zdtco.com
Zhen Ding Tech. Group, an industry leader, specializes providing professional service that offers one-stop solutions for the design, development, manufacturing, and sales of all types of PCBs, including flexible circuit boards (FPC), substrate-like PCBs (SLP), HDI PCB, rigid printed circuit boards (RPCB), IC substrates, rigid-flex PCBs, chip-on-film (COF), and modules.
Zhen Ding Tech. Group has five major manufacturing campuses across Taiwan, China, and India. There are also over 20 sales offices in the world to provide real-time business and technical services to our customer around the globe.
Zhen Ding Group provides products and services that meet the requirements of customers:
● SLP (Substrate-Like PCB): for semiconductor packaging in manufacturing process
● HDI (High Density Interconnect PCB): for advanced packaging technology
● RPCB (Rigid PCB): for electronic products
● COF( Chip on flex or chip on film): for smart watch display modules, and high-resolution TVs and medical displays etc.
18. ITEQ
Headquarters: Taiwan, China
Established time: 1997
Company website: https://www.iteq.com.tw
ITEQ is devoted in the industry as a professional Printed Circuit Board (PCB) laminate materials manufacturer and provider. ITEQ main products include copper clad laminate (CCL), prepreg (PP), masslam service, high thermal materials, and these products have a wide rang of application areas, such as computational and communications applications (e.g. servers, storage, switches), radio frequency and microwave devices (e.g. 5G and mmWaves), automotive applications.
Products:
● No flow PP
● IMS
● FCCL: coverlay, bonding sheet, stifener
19. Isola
Headquarters: Chandler, Arizona
Established time: 1912
Company website: https://www.isola-group.com
Isola is a global leader material sciences company, focusing on designing, developing, manufacturing, and qualifing copper-clad laminates and dielectric prepregs used to fabricate multilayer printed circuit boards (PCBs) that serve as the very foundation upon which the electronics we count on in our daily lives are built.
1912, founded and began productions of insulation materials
1956, began to product CCL and phenolic-paper laminates
1963, to product copper-clad “epoxy resin based” laminates
2006, Isola’s PCL-370HR became the industry standard for lead-free compatible FR-4
2009, Isola’s FR408HR became the standard for low-less FR-4
20. Doosan
Headquarters: South Korea
Established time: 1978
Company website: https://www.doosan.com
Doosan Corporation Electro-Materials is committed to a world-class electronic materials company in the era of smart mobility and hyper-connectivity. Doosan develops and manufactures diverse smart devices ranging from smartphones and table PCs to core materials such as LCDs, semiconductors, and automobiles.
1978, the birth of Doosan Group
2014, Doosan enters the fuel cell business
2018, Doosan Mobility Innovation(DMI) Sets Foot in UAV Fuel Cell Market
2019, Localization of large gas turbine for power generation.
2020, Doosan Fuel Cell built the world’s first and largest byproduct hydrogen fuel cell power plant
