1. The demand for PCB horizontal electroplating equipment has increased.
Taiwanese circuit board (PCB) manufacturers have been actively adopting multilayer fabrication processes in response to the increasing functionality and decreasing size of end products such as information and communication electronics. Recently, they have accelerated the production of communication boards, IC carrier substrates, and HDI products. PCBs are increasingly featuring fine lines and micro vias, leading to a higher proportion of this in production. As a result, the traditional vertical electroplating process used in the past is no longer able to meet the needs of these manufacturers. To meet the requirements of the process, various PCB manufacturers in Taiwan have been actively adopting horizontal electroplating equipment.
Due to the excellent copper deposition uniformity, fine line width and spacing, automation, easy horizontal transportation in-line, and closed operation characteristics of the horizontal electroplating technology, it can meet the technical requirements for thin plates, fine circuits and small hole diameters production. As a result, the development of horizontal electroplating has achieved remarkable growth in recent years.
II. Current Situation of the Island-wide Market
In the past, global horizontal electroplating technology and equipment mainly came from European manufacturers. The largest among them was Atotech from Germany. This company had also been the main supplier of equipment and technology in Taiwan until 1994, when Piotec in Taiwan independently developed the entire equipment for the horizontal electroplating system and began production in 1998. This change in the market's original ecosystem led to Taiwanese PCB manufacturers starting to adopt the company's products. Additionally, the timing of the launch of domestic horizontal electroplating equipment coincided with the upgrading stage of Taiwan's PCB products, thus, with the mutual support of technology and maintenance, the horizontal electroplating equipment of Taiwanese manufacturers began to play an increasingly important role in the new PCB processes.
Apart from Piotec, the Yizhi Technology company on the island also developed horizontal electroplating equipment in early 2000. This company was established through the investment of a foreign enterprise that was spun off from the Hong Kong-listed Asian Network Corporation and was introduced with government incentives. The main shareholders also include Zhisheng Industrial, an over-the-counter PCB equipment manufacturer. Yizhi Technology specializes in manufacturing automated equipment for printed circuit boards (PCB) and has gained prominence in the PCB market under the brand IML. It mainly produces automated wet processing equipment for PCBs, automated storage control equipment, automated unit machines, and TFT-LCD automated wet processing equipment. Currently, it is making every effort to transform into a professional manufacturer of automated equipment for PCBs and flat panel displays (FPD).
III. Development Overview of Local Manufacturers
At present, the major manufacturers of horizontal electroplating equipment in the island region are still mainly focusing on making profits and Yizhi. Since Yizhi has been in operation for a longer period of time, it currently still holds a large share of the domestic market. According to statistics, in 1999, Yizhi produced approximately 40 lines, and in 2000, it was estimated to have over 50 lines.
As for Yizhi Technology, since the company started its PCB development relatively late, currently only Hong Yuan Company in Taiwan's major PCB manufacturers have adopted its products. However, since its establishment in 1975, this company has been specializing in the production of PCB automation equipment and has a certain degree of mastery over both R&D capabilities and manufacturing technologies. Currently, it is actively negotiating orders with advanced board-level PCB complete-process manufacturers. In the future, it hopes to seize a market share with competitive prices. Additionally, in early February 2001, Yizhi Technology signed a contract with Japanese Ebara-Udylite. Both parties jointly developed horizontal electroplating copper equipment and Ebara-Udylite was responsible for selling through its channel the through-hole plating (PTH) equipment. This contract is believed to provide substantial assistance for Yizhi Technology to enter the Japanese PCB market and move towards becoming a global brand.
In terms of expanding the mainland market, currently Yichuang has set up factories in the mainland. Currently, the proportion of exports to the mainland is approximately 60%. In the future, this proportion will increase due to the growth of the PCB industry in the mainland. Regarding Yizhi, the market structure of horizontal electroplating equipment is still dominated by Taiwan, accounting for over 80%. Currently, an investment of approximately 800,000 US dollars is estimated for expansion of the Shenzhen factory in the mainland. It is expected to start mass production in the middle of 2001. Additionally, in line with the development of the PCB industry in Shanghai, the factory will be re-planned and set up. It is expected to start operation in 2003. Initially, it will start with lower-level automated unit machines.
IV. Conclusion
With the development of high-end PCB products, major PCB manufacturers in Taiwan have begun to actively undergo transformation. Under this trend, the technical and capital thresholds in the PCB industry have further risen. It is estimated that the entire equipment for a horizontal electroplating system requires approximately 1 million US dollars. Our country has been in the PCB field for a considerable period of time. Many equipment manufacturers have grown along with the development of the PCB industry from the very beginning. Especially in the wet process equipment sector, there are already professional suppliers. In addition, the wet process micro-continuous process requires a one-time construction when building a PCB factory. Therefore, the unit price is quite high.