Since 2024, artificial intelligence has continued to be a hot topic of discussion. From computing power to AI chips, and then to AI servers, various discussions about artificial intelligence are endless. However, PCB printed circuit boards play a seemingly ordinary but crucial role. As the backbone and nervous system of electronic devices, PCBs play an indispensable and important role in fields such as AI, high-speed computing, and intelligent driving.
If computing power is the blood of artificial intelligence, AI chips are its heart, and servers are its blood vessels, then PCB is undoubtedly the brain of artificial intelligence. After all, all devices that support the development of artificial intelligence need to be assembled and operated on PCB circuit boards.
PCB printed circuit boards play a crucial role in various fields such as communication electronics, consumer electronics, automotive electronics, aerospace, and semiconductor packaging. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, the improvement of automotive intelligence, and the recovery of the consumer electronics industry, the market demand for PCB printed circuit boards will experience unprecedented growth.
The application of artificial intelligence drives the output value of PCBs upwards. Whether applied on AI servers or AI PCs, including copper foil substrates, CCL must use high-frequency and high-speed materials, and the penetration rate of high-order materials is rapidly increasing; In the application of AI PC, in the past, the proportion of traditional NB using HDI PCBs was relatively low, mainly traditional information boards. However, the proportion of HDI PCBs required for AI PC has increased, which is expected to promote the NB market from multi-layer PCB boards to the HDI PCB field.
As for the copper foil substrate, the AI Server motherboard, GPU OAM accelerator module, and GPU UBB motherboard required for AI Server all require at least Ultra Low loss or Very Low loss grade copper foil substrate materials, which have high output value; For AI PCs, although the material level is reduced by one level, it still needs to reach the Low loss or Mid loss level. However, compared to the standard FR4 material, it is considered a higher level product.
In addition, in AI servers, in addition to the CPU motherboard, there are also acceleration cards such as OAM and UBB boards with more than 20-30 layers PCB, as well as the need to increase HDI circuit board, HDI to drive an increase in HDI PCB usage.
In terms of AI PCs, due to the increase in NB/PC functionality, the required number of HDI PCB layers has also increased. For traditional mainstream NB information boards, 4-10 layer circuit boards are mostly used. For simple computers such as Chrome books, NB circuit boards have lower levels of layers (4-6 layer boards). For NB, besides Apple Macbooks, the proportion of HDI PCBs needed is still low. However, in the future, if AI PCs are truly acceptable to end consumers, the usage of HDI circuit boards is expected to increase significantly in the NB market.
As the core component of intelligent systems, the performance of artificial intelligence circuit boards directly affects the stability and operational efficiency of the entire system. Therefore, the requirements for circuit boards are very strict, mainly including the following aspects:
High performance computing power: AI algorithms typically require a large amount of computing resources, so circuit boards need to have strong computing power to support complex data processing and analysis tasks.
High Integration: With the advancement of technology, intelligent systems have increasingly high requirements for circuit board integration. High integration means that the circuit board can carry more components, achieve more functions, and reduce space occupation and cost.
High reliability: Intelligent systems typically require long-term stable operation, thus requiring extremely high reliability of circuit boards. The circuit board must have excellent corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance, and seismic resistance to ensure normal operation in various harsh environments.
Low energy consumption: With the increasing awareness of environmental protection, low energy consumption has become an important consideration factor in PCB design. The circuit board needs to adopt advanced energy-saving technology to reduce energy consumption and improve the overall energy efficiency of the system.
How circuit boards provide strong support for intelligent systems
Improving system performance: High performance circuit boards can significantly enhance the data processing capabilities of intelligent systems, enabling them to respond more quickly to various needs and improve overall performance.
Enhanced system stability: A highly reliable circuit board can ensure the stable operation of intelligent systems in various environments, reduce failure rates, and improve system reliability and stability.
Expanding system functionality: High integration circuit boards can carry more components and interfaces, providing more functional options for intelligent systems. This enables intelligent systems to better adapt to various application scenarios and meet the different needs of users.
Reducing system costs: By optimizing design and adopting advanced production processes, circuit board manufacturers can reduce the manufacturing costs of circuit boards. Meanwhile, highly integrated circuit boards can reduce the number of components required for the system, further lowering system costs.
With the continuous development of artificial intelligence technology, the requirements for circuit boards will also continue to increase. In the future, circuit board manufacturers need to constantly innovate and upgrade their technology to meet higher requirements for intelligent systems. Meanwhile, with the popularization of technologies such as 5G and the Internet of Things, the application scenarios of intelligent systems will become more extensive, which also provides new development opportunities for circuit board manufacturers.
As the core component of intelligent systems, the performance of artificial intelligence circuit boards directly affects the stability and operational efficiency of the entire system. By continuously innovating and upgrading technology, circuit board manufacturers can manufacture circuit board products with higher performance, reliability, and lower energy consumption, providing strong support for intelligent systems.
With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, intelligent systems have penetrated into all aspects of our lives, from smart homes and smart wearables to autonomous vehicle and industrial automation. Behind these intelligent systems, an indispensable key component is high-performance and highly reliable circuit boards.
