Flexible PCB firm Uniflex Technology has reportedly entered the supply chain for Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S10 series with shipments already kicking off, according to industry sources.

Despite sales growth stagnancy for smartphones, handset PCB suppliers are moving to develop high-end board materials as they believe handsets still have great room for sales growth along with increasing incorporation of new tech functions, according to supply chain sources.

Taiwan-based automotive PCB specialist Chin-Poon Industrial has expressed caution about its sales performance in 2019, citing unfavorable global trade conditions and a slowdown in demand for emerging applications such as electric vehicles and ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems).

Semiconductor material distributors Topco Scientific and Wahlee Industrial have both reported on-year increases in consolidated revenues for 2018 of 21.4% and 23.4%, respectively.

PCB manufacturer Tripod Technology has moved to enhance its high-end lineup as it is pursuing further profit growth in 2019, according to the Taiwan-based company.

Taiwan PCB makers enjoyed strong growth in 2018 in shipments of their flexible boards, rigid-flex boards and substrate-like PCBs to new application sectors of datacenter servers and network communication equipment, and expect such shipments to grow further in 2019 as the 5G era is set to come. But...

Flexible PCB specialists Zhen Ding Technology and Flexium Interconnect have reported sequential decreases in consolidated revenues for December 2018 of 36.7% and 34.7%, respectively. The December revenues compared to year-ago levels also represented declines of over 40%.

Unitech Printed Circuit Board will be expanding its rigid-flex board portfolio for consumer electronics and automotive applications this year, while foreseeing a further slowdown in demand for handsets, according to the PCB manufacturer.

PCB manufacturers Compeq Manufacturing and Unimicron Technology saw their December revenues decline 25.6% and 18%, respectively, on month.

MLCC specialists Yageo, Walsin Technology and Holy Stone Enterprise have reported sequential decreases in consolidated revenues for December 2018 of 15.7%, 24.7% and 36.4%, respectively.

Copper-clad laminate (CCL) specialist Iteq expects orders for 5G infrastructure to pull in from China following the Lunar New Year holiday that ends in early February, with the orders set to start generating revenues substantially in the first half of 2019.

Lite-On Semiconductor has obtained contract manufacturing orders from China-based MOSFET suppliers, and is expected to see its 6-inch fab utilization rate climb to 70-80% in 2019 from 60-70% last year, according to industry sources.

Chipbond Technology and JMC Electronics, both of whom are among the world's few suppliers of COF substrates, have reported revenue increases for 2018 of 45% and 16%, respectively.

Taiwan-based Taiflex Scientific, which supplies flexible copper-clad laminates (FCCL) and PV module backsheets, has announced lackluster sales for December due to decreased demand for its products from the smartphone and other mobile device sectors.

PCB maker Apex International is expected to enjoy a strong first quarter of 2019, thanks to robust shipments of its automotive boards, according to company sources.

Taiwan MOSFET suppliers expect stable shipment and revenue increases in the first quarter of 2019, due partly to sufficient 8-inch wafer foundry support and partly to clients' mass purchases of MOSFET chips needed to support the new-generation CPUs and GPUs from Intel, Nvidia and AMD, according to...

Passive component supplier Chilisin Electronics has reported December revenues fell 13.7% sequentially, but revenues for all of 2018 still hit a record high.

Unwavering in its drive to build a self-sufficient semiconductor supply chain, China plans more new fab projects than any other region in the world from 2017 to 2020, and its expansion of fab capacity recently picked up pace on the strength of new foundry and memory projects from both domestic and...

Taiwan-based diode maker Iris Technology is optimistic about stable improvements in 2019 revenue performances, thanks to growing demand for diode devices to support applications in the sectors of 5G services, Internet of Vehicles (IoV), AI and wireless charging.

Taiwan-based compound semiconductor components suppliers including Transcom and Intelligent Epitaxy Technology (IntelliEPI) are aggressively venturing their GaAs, GaN and GaSb devices into automotive, military and aerospace markets to net higher profit margins, according to industry sources.

China will implement a new set of strict regulations on the operations of the PCB industry on February 1, which may threaten the survival of small- to medium-size makers, according to sources from the related upstream supply chain.

IC testing solution provider Chunghwa Precision Test Tech (CHPT) has reported revenues of NT$216 million (US$6.99 million) for December, down 16.1% on month but up 29.2% on year.

Taiwan-based Chilisin Electronics has developed itself into a leading provider for an array of passive components in recent years through intensified developments of core technologies in house, and has continued to build up its competitiveness via a series of merger and acquisition deals.

In efforts to explore new business territories, Taiwan PCB makers including Chunghwa Precision Test Tech (CHPT) are keen to tap into the supply chains of US aerospace firms including SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, according to industry sources.

Copper clad laminate (CCL) makers will continue their production capacity expansion projects in 2019 despite volatility in the PCB market, according to industry sources.