Since the advent of ChatGPT, the ChatGPT model has brought new opportunities for the implementation of AI applications and commercial scenarios, leading the trend of AI development. Subsequently, many technology companies have also launched their own AI models, accelerating the development of the AI field.

With the advancement of AI technology, the bottom of consumer electronics demand has recovered, and the PCB industry is ushering in a new round of upward cycle. Prismark expects the global PCB output value CAGR to be 14% from 2023 to 2026. With the accelerated evolution of AI technology and the continuous deepening of its application, the new generation of information technology industry has an increasingly urgent demand for high computing power and high-speed networks, driving the industry's demand for large-size, high-layer count, high-frequency and high-speed, high-order HDI, high-heat dissipation and other PCB products.

Among them, the training of each AI model requires processing massive amounts of data. The training data volume of GPT-3

GPT-3 is the predecessor model of ChatGPT. Its training data volume is about 570GB of text data, including about 499 billion tokens. Although OpenAI has not disclosed the specific training data volume of GPT-4, according to relevant research, the training data volume of GPT-4 may exceed that of GPT-3. For example, the training data scale of Llama3 is 15T of tokens, while the training data scale of Other AI is 14.8T of tokens6. This shows that with the improvement of model capabilities, the amount of training data is also increasing significantly. The storage, reading and transmission of these data require a large number of high-performance storage chips to support. In the inference stage, when Other AI is applied to many scenarios such as intelligent customer service, image recognition, and natural language processing, a large amount of intermediate data and result data will be generated, which requires storage chips for temporary or long-term storage. With the widespread implementation of AI application scenarios, the total demand for storage chips is expected to increase.

According to Prismark data, from 2023 to 2028, PCB products in the server and storage device field will become one of the fastest growing product application areas with a compound growth rate of 11.6%. At the same time, with the improvement of AI server performance, higher requirements are placed on PCB, and it is expected that the application of HDI products will be greatly improved.

What is HDI (high density interconnect pcb) in PCB?

High-density interconnect (HDI) PCB is a printed circuit board with a higher wiring density per unit area than traditional printed circuit boards.

Features

Denseer Interconnects: HDI PCB have more interconnects and components per unit area.

Smaller Vias and Traces: HDI PCB have smaller vias, pads, copper traces, and spaces.

Finner Lines and Spaces: HDI PCB have thinner lines and spaces than traditional PCB.

Higher Layer Count: HDI PCB have more layers than traditional PCB.

Benefits

Miniaturization: HDI PCB can reduce board space while maintaining functionality.

Improved Signal Quality: HDI PCB can improve signal quality by reducing signal path length and reflections.

Why is HDI (high density interconnect pcb ) PCB? Advantages of HDI PCB

The main reason why AI servers use HDI PCB (high-density interconnect printed circuit board) is that it can meet the stringent requirements of AI servers for high performance, high density, high-speed signal transmission and heat dissipation. The following is an analysis of the specific reasons:

1. High-density interconnection capability

AI servers need to process massive amounts of data and complex calculations, and the circuit design is complex and highly integrated. HDI PCB uses fine wire and micro-hole technology to achieve higher wiring density in a limited space, thereby supporting the integration of more components and more complex circuit design.

For example, AI servers usually need to be equipped with multiple GPUs (such as NVIDIA's DGX series servers). HDI PCB can meet the requirements of multi-layer, high-density wiring to ensure the stability and efficiency of signal transmission.

2. Support high-frequency and high-speed signal transmission

AI servers have extremely high requirements for data transmission speed and signal integrity. HDI PCB uses ultra-low loss materials and high-frequency and high-speed design to reduce signal attenuation and interference, and ensure the integrity of data during high-speed transmission.

For example, NVIDIA's NVLink technology requires PCBs to support bandwidths up to 1800Gbps, and the high-layer count and fine wiring capabilities of HDI PCBs can meet this requirement.

3. Excellent heat dissipation performance

AI servers generate a lot of heat when running at high loads, and the heat dissipation performance directly affects the stability and life of the server. HDI PCBs can effectively improve heat dissipation efficiency and ensure stable operation of servers under high load conditions by optimizing structural design and material selection.

For example, the multi-layer structure of HDI PCBs and the application of heat dissipation materials can quickly conduct heat to the heat dissipation system to avoid local overheating.

4. Adapt to the high-layer count and complex design of AI servers

The PCB of AI servers usually requires a multi-layer design of more than 20 layers to meet the needs of high-speed signal transmission and complex circuit layout. HDI PCB supports arbitrary layer interconnection technology, which can achieve a higher layer count design while improving the performance and reliability of the circuit board312.

For example, NVIDIA's AI server PCB has reached 20-28 layers, far exceeding the 16-layer design of traditional servers.

5. Meeting the high-performance requirements of AI servers

The performance requirements of AI servers for PCBs far exceed those of traditional servers, including higher transmission rates, lower signal loss, and stronger anti-interference capabilities. HDI PCBs can meet these high-performance requirements by using high-frequency, high-speed materials and advanced processes.

For example, the application of HDI PCBs in AI servers has increased the value of single-machine PCBs to 5-6 times that of ordinary servers, further promoting the market demand for HDI PCBs612.

HDI PCBs have become the preferred solution for AI servers due to their advantages such as high-density interconnection, high-frequency and high-speed transmission, excellent heat dissipation performance, and high-layer design. With the rapid development of AI technology, the application of HDI PCBs in AI servers will be further expanded, driving the PCB industry towards high-end and high-performance development.

Future development trend

With the coming of the AI wave, the demand for high-end HDI PCBs has increased significantly. The advent of a new generation of AI servers has further promoted the development of HDI PCBs. In the future, with the continuous breakthroughs in AI technology and the expansion of application scenarios, HDI PCBs will play an increasingly important role in AI servers.

At the same time, with the advancement of manufacturing processes and the application of new materials, the performance of HDI circuit boards will continue to improve and the cost will be further reduced. This will provide more companies with high-performance, low-cost solutions and promote the popularization and development of AI technology.

Rocket-PCB is a professional HDI PCB manufacturer. We focus on innovation and continue to explore new technologies and processes to meet the market's growing demand for circuit boards. We have rich production experience and professional knowledge. Whether it is making high-tech, high-quality, high-difficulty performance HDI PCB boards, or high-frequency and high-speed communication circuit boards or complex industrial control circuit boards, we can rely on our excellent technical strength and advanced production equipment to provide customers with high-quality and reliable solutions. If you have any related needs, please contact us!