Speculation has circulated recently in Taiwan's industry about a new company that will be set up jointly by the local LCD panel and driver IC companies to specialize in the manufacture of chip-on-film (COF) substrates.

Flexible PCB maker Flexium Interconnect has kicked off construction of a new plant in Kaoshiung, southern Taiwan, which will serve as the firm's 5G smart communication business operating base that may create 2,500 jobs.

SEMICON China 2019 will open March 20 for a three-day run at Shanghai New International Expo Center, with global semiconductor industrial chains to showcase their latest technologies, designs, materials, equipment and solutions.

COF substrate makers plan to adjust upward quotes for the second quarter by 8-15% sequentially to reflect their tight supplies, according to market sources.

Niche-market copper clad laminate (CCL) supplier Ventec International expects demand for automotive and 5G related applications to drive its revenue and profit growth in 2019.

Copper-clad laminate (CCL) firm Iteq has reported net profits surged 42.6% to NT$1.78 billion (US$57.6 million) in 2018, when consolidated revenues increased 5.6% on year to NT$22.4 billion. EPS for the year came to NT$5.86.

MLCC and chip resistor specialist Yageo saw its net profits climb to a record high of NT$33.84 billion (US$1.09 billion) in 2018, with EPS coming to NT$80.30.

PCB manufacturer Compeq Manufacturing has seen order visibility for the first half of 2019 remain low, and reiterated its cautious outlook this year.

Kaimei Electronic and Teapo Electronic have agreed to merge through exchange of one Kaimei share for 1.165 Teapo shares, with Kaimei to be the surviving company, according to the Yageo-affiliated capacitor specialists.

Flexible PCB firms Flexium Interconnect and Zhen Ding Technology are gearing up for mass production for Apple's next-generation iPad devices, while Compeq Manufacturing and Unitech PCB supply rigid-flex boards for the forthcoming AirPods, according to industry sources.

Taiwan-based CCL suppliers including Elite Materials (EMC), Iteq and Taiwan Union Technology (TUC) are all expected to see their first-quarter revenues decrease from the same period in 2018, due to a slowdown in demand from their PCB clients, according to industry sources.

Two Yageo-affiliated capacitor specialists are set to merge for business synergies, according to market sources.

Taiwan-based MOSFET suppliers have turned cautious about their business outlook for the first half of 2019, as graphics card makers are still maintaining relatively high inventory levels, according to industry sources, The continued tight supply of Intel's entry-level processors is another factor fueling...

Flexible PCB manufacturer Fuyang Technology, a joint venture between Pegatron and Kinsus Interconnect Technology, has reportedly entered the supply chain of Apple.

Microcontroller unit specialist Nuvoton is focusing on high-performance 32-bit MCUs, which will account for two thirds of its new products this year, according to the company.

Yageo, a supplier of MLCCs and chip resistors, has reported consolidated revenues fell 35.1% sequentially and 3.6% on year to NT$3.1 billion (US$100.35 million) in February 2019.

High-performance RF components and power devices made of third-generation compound semiconductor materials with wide band-gap, such as GaN and SiC, are expected to be increasingly demanded for extensive applications in the 5G era, prompting international IDMs such as Infineon, STM, TI and AOS to aggressively...

Taiwan makers of flexible copper clad laminate (FCCL) and coverlay, materials for flexible PCBs, are gearing up to develop new material solutions and build new production lines to cash in on huge demand for FPCBs for 5G smartphones, according to industry sources.

Passive component supplier Chilisin Electronics has reported consolidated revenues fell 30.1% sequentially but grew 27.8% on year to NT$998 million (US$32.3 million) in February 2019.

PCB maker Apex International saw its net profits jump over 900% on year to NT$833 million (US$27 million) in 2018, with EPS coming to NT$5.45.

PCB maker Unimicron Technology has seen its production efficiency improve by 70% after adopting AI solutions for product inspection through cooperating with IBM, according to company president Lan Ting.

Automated optical inspection (AOI) equipment specialist Machvision saw its consolidated revenues for February 2019 increase 14.2% on year and 2.9% sequentially to NT$212 million (US$6.87 million), bucking traditional seasonal trends.

China PCB maker Shennan Circuits Company has reportedly landed orders from network equipment vendors such as ZTE and Ericsson for 5G base station applications, indicating its efforts in tapping the new segment are gradually paying off.

Infineon, now the world's largest supplier of MOSFET chips, is ramping up production of such chips at its new 12-inch plant, inspiring more IDMs to follow suit in 2019, a move that may result in oversupply driving down MOSFET quotes, according to industry sources.

Autonomous cars are emerging as a common industrial development trend worldwide with huge business opportunities looming ahead, prompting Taiwan makers to cash in on great demand from their niche segment of automotive electronics by seeking partnerships with international makers and leveraging the...