The Low-DK Fabric Roadmap for AI Hardware (Gen 1 to Gen 4): • Gen 1 (Glass): NV Compute Tray • Gen 2 (Glass): NV Switch Tray • Gen 2.5 (Extreme Glass / NEZ-Grade): The physical limit of glass fiber • Gen 3 (1st Gen Quartz / Q-Glass): NV Next-Gen LPU (52-layer) • Gen 4 (2nd Gen Quartz): M10-grade CCL Gen 1–2.5 push traditional glass to its limit. Gen 3–4 leap into pure Quartz for the AI race. ⚡️ #PCB# #CCL# #NVIDIA# #Hardware# #SupplyChain# #QGlass#

From a tech roadmap perspective, here is how the materials are shifting: ​1️⃣ Compute/Switch/Motherboards: CCL is staying on the current PPO/CH track, starting at M8+ and scaling toward M9/M10 for next-gen nodes. ​2️⃣ Backplanes/Midplanes: To balance manufacturability and performance, we're seeing a hybrid approach. It leverages a glass-free PTFE Core paired with Q-glass/CH resin Prepregs (PP) for mechanical reinforcement. ​Co-existence is the actual winning playbook here. #AIInfrastructure# #PCB# #CCL# #MaterialScience# #PTFE# #QGlass#

The Q-glass vs. PTFE debate is still raging, but the ground truth is clear: ultra-high layer count AI boards are locked in for the M9 + Q-glass setup. 🧵👇 PTFE materials cause severe processing bottlenecks in drilling and lamination. It’s so problematic that even Shengyi Tech had to alter its PP formulations. Looking into 2027, the volume ramp-up of next-gen LPUs (featuring massive 52-layer designs) will trigger a massive surge in Q-glass demand. PTFE will remain strictly confined to low-layer topologies. #PCB# #Semiconductor# #AI# #SupplyChain# #Hardware#

PCB: Content Upside & PTFE Adoption Following our very early PTFE note on June 2, we provide update: • Nvidia Rubin platform a major catalyst for PCB content expansion
GB300 → ~US$440/GPU
VR200 → ~US$750/GPU
VR300 → US$1,000–1,500/GPU • Drivers: higher-end CCL materials, rising layer counts, and potential PTFE adoption into Rubin Ultra • VR200 upgrades
Compute tray: M8 + M6 CCL
Switch tray + new 44L midplane: M8.5 (Low-DK2/HVLP4)
→ Content rises to ~US$750 per GPU • VR300 further upside: M8.5 + M6 hybrid compute + M9 (Q-glass) switch/midplane → ~US$1,000/GPU
Oberon NVL576: hybrid PTFE switch boards (16+16L) under evaluation
If PTFE adopted → content could exceed US$1,500 per GPU • Stock preference
PCB: ZDT (4958 TT Buy) – new position in VR200 compute tray
PTFE CCL: Leading Chinese player primary; Taiflex (8039 TT) as potential second source #PCB# #PTFE# #EMC# #TAIFLEX# #CCL#

Market capital has a funny blind spot: many assumed PTFE-related designs would phase out glass fabrics entirely. The ground reality? We are seeing more and more next-gen designs migrating back to fabric-based solutions. ​Right now, the winning playbook for high-layer AI architectures is a co-existence scheme: leveraging Q-glass paired with CH resin Prepregs (PP). This isn't a temporary workaround; it is the blueprint for the next wave of hyperscale networking infrastructure. ​ ​#PCB# #AI# #Hardware# #SupplyChain# #Semiconductor#