The printed circuit board (PCB) market is unpredictable. Chinese companies are trying to take over high-density interconnect (HDI) PCBs, which are main boards for smartphones, and radio frequency PCBs (RF-PCBs), which are mainly used for display and camera modules. Domestic companies' investment in advanced substrate technologies such as flip-chip ball grid array (FC-BGA) and flip-chip chip scale packaging (FC-CSP) are on the rise, which used to be led by Japanese companies previously. The leaders of the PCB market are changing.
The movement of the PCB industry can be seen as an indicator. According to market research firm Prismark, the global PCB market grew 4.4% last year to $64 billion (about 72 trillion KRW). The PCB market, which had grown negatively in 2019, has risen again. The growth of semiconductor substrates such as FC-BGA drove the growth of the PCB market.
This trend can be observed domestically as well. Korea Electronics Packaging and Circuit Association (KPCA) predicted that the domestic PCB market will exceed 10 trillion (KRW) this year. This is the largest estimated amount. Although the overall PCB market increased by 3.4%, semiconductor substrates predicted a high increase of 17% compared to last year.
The HDI and RF-PCB market, which once dominated the domestic PCB market, are undergoing a great transition to semiconductor substrates. There are shortages of semiconductor supply and semiconductor substrates. It is not easy to read the market and prepare for the future with these kinds of crisis.
'2021 International Electronic Circuits and Packaging Show (KPCA Show 2021)' introduces the direction that the PCB and packaging market should go in the era of great industrial transformation. Korea's largest PCB and packaging industry exhibition, which marks its 18th anniversary this year, will be held for three days from the 6th to the 8th at Songdoconvensia in Incheon.
In this year's KPCA Show 2021, Korea's leading PCB industry companies, such as LG Innotek, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Daeduck Electronics, and Young Poong Group, will participate and showcase the latest products and technologies. Participants can read future technologies and market strategies that can solve the semiconductor substrate crisis.Industries that go through before and after PCB and packaging, such as raw materials, facilities, pharmaceuticals, and materials companies will also attend at the event. Doosan Electronics BG, Sechang Chemical, KPM Tech, Wizcoat, Taesung, Orbotech, and Fusei Menix are some of the companies that will be attending the exhibition. About 105 companies responsible for the PCB industry ecosystem will participate. It will be an opportunity to read the overall PCB industry and trends at a glance.
'KPCA Show 2021' consists of △PCB Industry Hall △Semiconductor Packaging and Mounting Technology Hall △Plating Tooth Surface Treatment Technology Hall △Advanced Reliability Equipment and Clean System Hall △Automobile Electrical System Hall △Motion Control and Collaborative Robot Industry Hall. There are various attractions have also been prepared to directly experience the latest trends and technologies in the electronic circuit and mounting industry.
It provided an informative forum for industry trends and new technologies. An 'International Symposium' where 15 PCB and semiconductor packaging companies and research institutes participate will be held every day during the event period. Domestic and Foreign companies such as Nepes, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, LG Innotek, Amkor, Flexlink, and Interconnection Technologies, and research institutes such as Korea Automobile Research Institute will share development status of latest PCB and packaging technology development. Alpha Global's new technology and new product presentations related to PCB and packaging are also in schedule.
There will also be opportunities to discover future growth opportunities through various networking and business cooperation within the PCB industry. Participants will be able to make various benefits through direct business consultations on site. At last year's event, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, business consultations amounted to nearly 100 billion KRW. Many of these resulted in actual contracts. The scale and quality of the event have been expanded this year, and is expected to have a better performance.
At the event, commendation for merit in the PCB and packaging industry will also be held. Korea Circuit’s Executive Vice President, Duk-jin Yang, and Daeduck Electronics Development Center Director, Hwa-dong Oh, will receive the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Awards. Yang will receive award for his contribution to enhancing national competitiveness through the development and mass production of HDI/RF-PCB product technology. Oh will receive for his contribution to the development and mass production of the world's first ultra-thin PCB for packaging.
Tae-il Baek, Chairman of KPCA, said, “This year, the domestic PCB and semiconductor packaging industry is expected to achieve the highest performance ever. While the need for communication and cooperation is growing for the further development of the entire industry, the KPCA Show, which introduces various new technologies and products, can be an important stepping stone for guiding the direction our industry should take and for developing and improving new products and its competitiveness.”
By Staff Reporter Dong-jun Kwon (djkwon@etnews.com)