High-End CCL Supply Tightens, AI Server PCB Lead Times Extend to Six Months
Nashnova编辑部
M8-grade and above CCL — the copper-clad laminate at the base of every AI server circuit board — faces a widening supply gap as multiple top suppliers delay expansion; lead times have stretched to four to six months, with major new capacity unlikely to arrive before mid-2027.
What is CCL, and why is it suddenly scarce?
CCL — copper-clad laminate, the "sandwich board" of copper foil and resin that forms the base layer of a printed circuit board — is the critical material for high-speed data transmission in AI servers.
AI servers demand faster signal speeds and lower loss, which requires M8-grade or higher CCL. This means → the shortage is not about ordinary CCL; it is about the premium grades that qualify.
Only a handful of suppliers can deliver at this tier: Taiwan's EMC and TUC, Nanya Plastics; Japan's Panasonic Industry; Korea's Doosan; and China's Shengyi Technology. In plain terms = the entire world depends on these few names, and any single disruption ripples downstream.
Why are expansion plans stalling across the board?
EMC (Elite Material Co., 2383.TW): factory construction delays have pushed CCL equipment installation back by roughly six months.
Doosan Electronic Materials (Korea): a workplace safety incident at the construction site caused a similar six-month delay.
TUC (Taiwan Union Technology, 6274.TW): equipment delivery issues at its Thailand Phase 2 plant delayed mass production by about two months — but production started in July, shipments will ramp from August, and full capacity is expected in Q4.
This means → factoring in commissioning and ramp-up, EMC's and Doosan's new capacity will not meaningfully contribute supply until after mid-2027; TUC's shorter delay still puts full output at Q4 2026.
What does the longer lead time mean for downstream buyers?
High-end CCL lead times have stretched to four to six months. This reflects the double squeeze of strong demand and delayed supply.
For NVIDIA's next-generation Vera Rubin server platform ramp, Doosan is expected to be the sole CCL supplier for compute boards; Nanya Plastics will share switch-board supply with Shengyi and EMC.
In the ASIC server market, Panasonic, EMC, TUC, Nanya, and Doosan have each entered different customer supply chains. In plain terms = every top supplier is competing for slots, but total volume is fixed — whoever ships first locks in the position.
What do the expansion roadmaps look like?
EMC: monthly capacity reaches 6.15 million sheets by end-2026 (Guanyin plant online), grows over 50% to 9.3 million in 2027, then to 11.1 million in 2028. 2026 capex is capped at NT$23 billion. EMC says it has overtaken Shengyi and Kingboard in revenue to become the world's largest CCL supplier.
Doosan: some lines at its Jeungpyeong and Gimcheon plants are already running above rated capacity. Capacity is planned to increase roughly 50% by early 2027. A new Thailand plant at the Amata industrial estate will break ground in 2026 and target production in H2 2028.
Panasonic Industry: investing about ¥7.5 billion in a new high-speed laminate line at its Guangzhou plant, operational April 2027; and about ¥17 billion at its Ayutthaya, Thailand plant, operational November 2027, with a goal to roughly double MEGTRON laminate capacity within five years.
TUC: monthly capacity to 2.6 million sheets by end-2026; Changshu and Thailand add 600K each, reaching 3.8 million by end-2027; Zhongshan adds 1.2 million and Thailand another 750K during 2028–2029.
When will the supply crunch ease?
Across all major suppliers, large-scale new capacity is concentrated in the 2027–2028 window.
Current expansion delays push the relief point further out. This means → before mid-2027, high-end CCL supply is very likely to stay tight.
In plain terms = this timeline is the key checkpoint for AI server supply-chain cost pressure: if capacity comes online on schedule in mid-2027, cost pressure should ease; if delays recur, downstream PCB and system-level prices will remain under strain.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.