As the market for artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors expands amid AI’s explosive growth, South Korean conglomerate Doosan expects a boost in sales of its copper clad laminate (CCL), an essential component of AI chips. Doosan Corporation, the world’s leading CCL manufacturer, recently began mass production of CCL for U.S. tech giant Nvidia’s next-generation graphics processing units (GPUs).
Doosan Corporation Electro-Materials was selected as a CCL supplier for Nvidia’s AI chip substrates last year, according to industry insiders on May 31. Doosan will supply CCL for Nvidia’s next-generation GPU B100, which is scheduled to be released in the fourth quarter of this year. The company secured this contract after competing with the previous supplier, Taiwan’s EMC, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
CCL is a base material used in printed circuit boards (PCBs), a medium used to connect components in a circuit. It electrically connects and protects semiconductor chips and mainboards. CCL is made by layering thin copper foils several times and then combining them with resin, which acts as an insulator and a filler that absorbs shock.
According to analysts, Doosan has a competitive edge in resin and filler ratio, which determines the performance of CCL and PCB. The company counts Samsung Electro-Mechanics, LG Innotek, and Korea Circuit among its substrate customers. Substrates with Doosan’s CCL are used by big tech companies, including Nvidia, Tesla, and Apple.
Doosan Electronics BG’s first-quarter sales recorded 186.5 billion won ($135 million) and is projected to reach 900 billion won this year.
The global CCL market is set to grow at a compound annual rate of 6%, from $15.08 billion in 2022 to $21.2 billion by 2028, according to market research firm Global Information. The CCL market for AI chips is expected to reach $10 billion in 2025.
