Mini LED PCB production in China is experiencing rapid growth as more companies enter the field, expanding the technology’s applications. Mini backlights are increasingly recognized across various sectors, including televisions, e-sport displays, laptops, and automotive displays.
Manufacturers in the LED package, display screen, and panel sectors, as well as various consumer electronics companies, have strong confidence in the market potential for Mini LEDs. However, there is debate over the choice of base plates for Mini LED products, with supporters for PCBs, FPCs, and glass base plates.
Shifting Market Trends in Mini LED Base Plates
Back in 2020, Yun Qiu, then Deputy Director of the Technical Planning Department at BOE Display and Sensor Business Group, noted at a conference, “The price of PCB base plates used for Mini backlights is higher than the current cost of TV LED backlight modules. The 6-layer 2-stage and 8-layer 3-stage PCB base plates required for Mini backlights are not yet widely available for mass production domestically.”
Market research shows that Mini LEDs have high performance requirements for PCB base plates, and until recently, most of these products had to be imported, often from Taiwan. This dependence kept prices high, but by 2022, the reliance on imports for Mini LED PCB base plates significantly decreased.
Three Key Trends in Mini LED Base Plate Choices
1. Continued Use of Double-Layer FR4 for PCBs
Double-layer FR4 remains the standard for PCBs in Mini LED production, providing stable quality and consistent supply.
2. Low-Cost Alternatives with Single-Sided Aluminum Base Plates
To reduce costs, some low-cost Mini LED backlight solutions are shifting towards single-sided aluminum base plates, which substantially lower PCB expenses.
3. Emerging Players in the Glass Base Plate Market
More suppliers are entering the glass base plate market, though questions remain about their cost-effectiveness and market maturity.
Despite the rise in glass base plates, the surge in domestic production of Mini LED PCB base plates is undeniable.
Domestic Production on the Rise
Chinese PCB manufacturers such as Kexiang Share, Fusion New Materials, Bomun Electronics, and Yidun Electronics are expanding their production capacity for Mini LED base plates by raising funds or implementing growth plans.
“Due to its limitations in heat dissipation, Mini LEDs will have more chip soldering per unit area and higher heat density than current LED backlight products, which could cause warping and deformation of the PCB base plate,” a technical expert from a leading domestic packaging company explained to Gaogong LED Display. “While glass base plates have cost advantages, they also have significant downsides, such as hardness, susceptibility to cracking, and currently low yield rates.”
Major PCB manufacturers like Kingboard Electronics are keeping up with market demands by maintaining a lead in high-level HDI+COB technology applications for Mini LEDs, supplying top-tier clients such as Qiguang Electronics, Xida Electronics, Lehman Optoelectronics, LG, Samsung, and BOE.
While glass base plates represent a notable future trend, under current technological conditions, PCB base plates remain the preferred choice for Mini LED production.
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