Nanya PCB: Complete Guide to Products, Substrates & Applications

After fifteen years working in PCB design and procurement, I’ve had my hands on materials from just about every major laminate supplier out there. Nanya (officially Nan Ya Plastics Corporation) consistently comes up in conversations with fellow engineers—and for good reason. Their vertical integration from raw glass yarn to finished copper-clad laminates gives them quality control that’s hard to match.

This guide covers everything you need to know about Nanya PCB materials: the product lineup, technical specifications, real-world applications, and practical tips for working with their laminates. Whether you’re specifying materials for a new design or evaluating suppliers for your next project, this should give you the foundation to make informed decisions.

What is Nanya PCB?

Nan Ya Printed Circuit Board Corporation (Nanya PCB) is a subsidiary of Nan Ya Plastics Corporation, which itself is part of the massive Formosa Plastics Group. Established in 1997 in Taiwan, the company has grown into one of the world’s leading manufacturers of PCB materials and IC substrates.

What sets Nanya apart is their complete vertical integration. Unlike many competitors who source components from multiple suppliers, Nanya manufactures everything in-house: glass yarn, glass fabric, copper foil, epoxy resin, flame retardants, and the final copper-clad laminates. This means tighter quality control and more consistent batch-to-batch performance—something that matters a lot when you’re dealing with tight impedance tolerances or high-frequency applications.

The company operates major PCB manufacturing facilities in Taiwan and Kunshan, China, with additional production in Vietnam. They hold certifications including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and IATF 16949, plus they’re registered as a Sony Green Partner for halogen-free materials.

Company Background and Market Position

Nanya PCB ranks among the top five global IC substrate manufacturers. According to industry data, they hold approximately 8.7% of the global substrate market share, making them a significant player alongside Unimicron, SEMCO, Ibiden, and AT&S. In the ABF substrate segment specifically—crucial for high-performance computing and AI chips—Nanya holds about 13.5% of the global market.

The company’s products span three main categories: conventional PCBs (motherboards, servers, consumer electronics), High-Density Interconnection (HDI) boards (smartphones, automotive), and IC substrates (CPUs, GPUs, AI chips). This breadth means engineers across different industries can standardize on Nanya materials, simplifying qualification processes and supply chain management.

Nanya PCB Product Categories

Understanding Nanya’s product structure helps when specifying materials. Their offerings break down into several categories, each addressing different performance requirements and price points.

Conventional PCB Laminates

These are your workhouse materials for standard applications. Nanya’s conventional laminates cover everything from basic FR-4 to enhanced versions with better thermal performance.

Standard FR-4 Series

The FR-4-86 is Nanya’s baseline product—a glass cloth/epoxy laminate suitable for most general-purpose applications. It offers a Tg (glass transition temperature) around 135°C, which works fine for consumer electronics that won’t see extreme thermal cycling. The UV Block FR-4-86 variant adds low UV transmission, making it compatible with AOI (Automated Optical Inspection) systems that use UV contrast enhancement.

Key specifications for FR-4-86:

• Dielectric constant (Dk): 4.5-4.7 at 1MHz
• Dissipation factor (Df): 0.015-0.020 at 1MHz
• Volume resistivity: 5×10⁸ to 5×10⁹ MΩ-cm
• Flammability: UL 94V-0

High-Tg Series (NPG Series)

For applications requiring better thermal stability—think automotive ECUs, industrial controls, or high-layer-count boards that see multiple lamination cycles—Nanya’s NPG series delivers. The NPG-170 family offers Tg values around 170°C (DSC method), while the NPG-180 series pushes above 210°C (DMA method).

The NPG-170TL is particularly popular. It’s halogen-free, antimony-free, and uses reactive flame retardants rather than additive types. This matters for RoHS compliance and for customers with strict environmental requirements. The lower CTE (Coefficient of Thermal Expansion) in the Z-axis—typically 50-70 ppm/°C below Tg—helps maintain through-hole reliability during thermal cycling.

Halogen-Free Laminates (NPGN Series)

Environmental regulations and OEM green initiatives have made halogen-free materials increasingly important. Nanya’s NPGN series addresses this with products that are free from halogens, antimony, and red phosphorous.

The NPGN-150 and NPGN-170 families are the main players here. Both offer excellent CAF (Conductive Anodic Filament) resistance—critical for fine-pitch designs where ionic migration between conductors can cause field failures. The NPGN-150LKHD variant specifically targets HDI applications with its optimized resin rheology for sequential lamination.

NPGN-150LKHD specifications:

• Dk at 1GHz: 3.90 (50% RC), 3.55 (70% RC)
• Df at 1GHz: 0.007
• Tg: 150°C typical
• IPC-4101E specification: L127/128

High-Speed/Low-Loss Laminates

For signal integrity-critical applications—servers, networking equipment, high-speed data transmission—Nanya offers specialized low-Dk/low-Df materials. These are where the NPG-186, NPG-188H, NPG-198K, and NPG-199 products shine.

The NPG-186, for instance, is designed for server, storage, router, and switch applications. It features very low dissipation factor at high frequencies (Df around 0.005 at 3GHz), high Tg (210°C DMA), and is halogen/antimony free. The Dk at 10GHz is approximately 3.5, which helps with impedance control in high-speed differential pairs.

For millimeter-wave applications (5G infrastructure, automotive radar), Nanya offers ultra-low loss materials like the NP-822, NP-735, and NP-530 series. These compete with PTFE-based materials but offer better processability and cost effectiveness for many applications.

IC Substrates (ABF and BT)

IC substrates represent the high-value segment of Nanya’s business. These materials form the interface between silicon dies and PCBs, requiring the tightest tolerances and most advanced manufacturing processes.

ABF Substrates

ABF (Ajinomoto Build-up Film) substrates are the standard for flip-chip BGA packages in CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs, and ASICs. Nanya is among the top five global ABF substrate manufacturers, with significant capacity expansion ongoing.

The demand for ABF substrates has exploded with AI chip requirements. Advanced AI processors from NVIDIA and AMD require substrates with 14-20 layers, areas up to 100mm×100mm, and line/space down to 5-7 micrometers. Nanya has invested heavily in this segment, including a NT$8.4 billion (roughly US$302 million) expansion at their Shulin facility.

BT Substrates

BT (Bismaleimide Triazine) substrates serve the memory and mobile device markets. They’re used in smartphone chipsets, memory modules, and various consumer electronics. While lower value per unit than ABF, the volumes are substantial.

Nanya’s IC substrate core materials include the NPG-180INBK, NPG-210, and NPG-200W series. These feature high Tg (DMA > 300°C for some grades), ultra-low CTE for excellent dimensional stability, and high modulus to minimize warpage—all critical for advanced packaging applications.

Nanya PCB Raw Material Part Numbers

Here’s a reference table of Nanya’s main laminate products organized by application:

Part Number	Tg (°C)	Dk @1GHz	Features	Applications
FR-4-86	135	4.5	Standard epoxy	Consumer electronics
CEM-3-98	130	4.6	Cost-effective	Home appliances, LED
NPG-170TL	170	4.1-4.3	Halogen-free, High Tg	Multilayer, automotive
NPG-180TL	210+	4.0	Very high Tg	High-layer count
NPGN-150R	150	4.1-4.3	HF, CAF resistant	HDI, fine-pitch
NPGN-150LKHD	150	3.90	Low Dk, HDI optimized	Sequential lamination
NPG-186	210	3.9	Very low Df	Servers, routers
NPG-199	170	3.5@10GHz	Ultra-low loss	5G, high-speed
NP-155FBH	155	4.4	Automotive grade	Vehicle ECUs
NPG-210	300+	3.8	Ultra-low CTE	IC substrates, AI chips

Understanding Nanya Prepreg Types

Prepregs are critical for multilayer construction. Nanya offers prepregs matched to each laminate family, with various glass fabric styles to accommodate different thickness and resin content requirements.

Glass Style	Thickness (μm)	Resin Content (%)	Best For
106	48	70	Ultra-thin dielectric, HDI
1080	64-76	64-70	Thin cores, smooth surface
2116	105-132	52-60	Standard multilayer, good dimensional stability
7628	173-181	45-52	Thick builds, cost-effective

Tip from the field: When building high-layer-count boards, mixing glass styles helps hit target thicknesses while maintaining flatness. For instance, using 1080 plies near the surface gives a smoother finish for fine-pitch BGA sites, while 7628 in the core provides dimensional stability.

Industry Applications

Computing and Servers

The server and data center market represents a major growth area for Nanya. With cloud computing and AI driving demand for faster processors and higher memory bandwidth, the requirements for PCB materials keep escalating. Nanya’s high-layer-count materials (NPG-171, NPG-182H) and IC substrates serve this market.

Server motherboards commonly run 12-24 layers with tight impedance control requirements. The NPG-186 and NPG-188H materials provide the low loss and stable Dk needed for PCIe Gen5/Gen6 and DDR5 signal integrity. For AI accelerator cards—think NVIDIA HGX or AMD Instinct modules—the ABF substrates enable the fine-pitch interconnects between GPUs and HBM stacks.

5G and Telecommunications

5G infrastructure places unique demands on PCB materials. Base station equipment operates at frequencies from sub-6GHz up to millimeter-wave bands (28GHz, 39GHz). This requires materials with predictable, low-loss performance across a wide frequency range.

Nanya’s low-Dk/low-Df materials (NPG-198K, NPG-199, NP-822 series) address these requirements. The ultra-low Dk variants with Dk around 3.2-3.5 at 10GHz help maintain signal integrity for high-speed serial links. For mmWave applications, the NP-730 and NP-530 series provide TCDK (temperature coefficient of Dk) stability critical for phase array antenna performance.

Automotive Electronics

Automotive presents some of the toughest requirements: extended temperature range (-40°C to +150°C), vibration resistance, and long service life (15+ years). Nanya’s automotive-grade materials (NP-155FBH, NP-175FBH, NPG-180BH, NPG-190BH) are qualified for these conditions.

The shift to electric vehicles and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) has increased PCB complexity in vehicles. A modern EV can contain over 100 ECUs, each requiring reliable PCB materials. Nanya’s low-CTE, low-moisture-absorption grades help maintain through-hole and via reliability through thermal cycling.

Consumer Electronics and Mobile

Smartphones, tablets, and wearables drive demand for HDI materials. The trend toward thinner devices with more functionality requires finer lines, smaller vias, and thinner dielectrics. Nanya’s NPGN-150 series and NPG-151 support sequential lamination processes for HDI construction.

The BT substrate business serves the mobile chipset market—application processors, power management ICs, and RF front-end modules all use BT-based packages. Rush orders for BT substrates often signal new smartphone launches, and Nanya maintains flexible capacity to respond to these demand spikes.

Practical Tips for Working with Nanya Materials

Having specified and worked with Nanya materials on numerous projects, here are some lessons learned:

Material Selection

1. Start with your frequency requirements. Below 1GHz, standard FR-4 usually works. From 1-5GHz, consider the NPG-170 or NPGN-150 series. Above 5GHz, you need the low-loss grades (NPG-186, NPG-199).
2. Match Tg to your assembly process. Lead-free reflow typically peaks around 260°C. For reliable assembly margins, select materials with Tg at least 30-40°C above your maximum operating temperature.
3. Check environmental requirements early. If your customer requires halogen-free, specify NPGN-series materials from the start. Changing materials mid-design often triggers re-qualification.

Stack-up Design

1. Keep core and prepreg grain directions aligned. Nanya notes this on their Certificate of Conformance. Misaligned grain direction causes warpage in multilayer lamination.
2. Verify available constructions. Not all thickness/resin content combinations are stock items. Confirm with your fabricator what’s actually available before finalizing your stack-up.
3. Consider mixing prepreg styles. For controlled impedance, the resin content affects both thickness and Dk. Sometimes a combination of styles (like 1080+2116) hits your targets better than multiple plies of one style.

Storage and Handling

1. Prepreg shelf life matters. Store at 20°C, 50% RH for up to 3 months. Refrigerated storage extends life but requires proper acclimation before opening to prevent condensation.
2. Protect from UV. UV exposure degrades the resin system. Keep materials wrapped until ready for use.
3. Moisture is the enemy. Absorbed moisture causes delamination and blowouts during lamination. Bake cores and prepregs per Nanya’s recommendations if humidity control has been compromised.

Useful Resources

Here are official and third-party resources for working with Nanya PCB materials:

Official Nanya Resources:

• Nan Ya Plastics Electronic Materials Division: npc.com.tw/j2npc/enus/prodcate/Electronic Material
• Nan Ya PCB Corporation: nanyapcb.com.tw
• CCL Datasheet Database: ccl.npc.com.tw (direct datasheet downloads)

Third-Party Databases:

• PCB Directory – Nan Ya Laminates: pcbdirectory.com/equipment/search/pcb-laminate
• UL Product iQ – Nan Ya Certifications: productiq.ulprospector.com (UL File E98983)

Industry Standards:

• IPC-4101 – Laminate and Prepreg Specification
• IPC-TM-650 – Test Methods Manual
• IPC-6012 – Rigid PCB Qualification and Performance Specification

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What’s the difference between Nan Ya Plastics and Nan Ya PCB?

Nan Ya Plastics Corporation manufactures the raw materials—copper-clad laminates, prepregs, glass fabrics, copper foils, and epoxy resins. Nan Ya Printed Circuit Board Corporation (Nan Ya PCB) is a separate subsidiary that manufactures finished PCBs and IC substrates using these materials. When you’re specifying laminate materials, you’re working with Nan Ya Plastics products. When you need finished boards or IC substrates, you’re working with Nan Ya PCB.

2. How does Nanya’s FR-4 compare to Isola or Shengyi?

In the standard FR-4 segment, performance differences are minimal—most meet the same IPC-4101 specifications. Where Nanya differentiates is in their halogen-free (NPGN) and high-speed (NPG-186, 199) grades. The vertical integration often translates to better price/performance for mid-range applications. For ultra-high-frequency designs (>20GHz), Isola’s Astra series or Rogers materials may edge out Nanya’s offerings, but at significantly higher cost.

3. Can I use Nanya prepregs with other manufacturers’ cores?

Technically yes, but it’s not recommended. Different manufacturers’ resin systems have different rheology and cure profiles. Mixing brands can cause delamination, especially under lead-free reflow conditions. Stick with matched systems—if you use Nanya cores, use Nanya prepregs. Your fabricator will thank you.

4. What’s the lead time for Nanya materials?

Standard grades (FR-4-86, NPG-170TL, NPGN-150R) are typically available from distribution stock or with 2-4 week lead times from the factory. Specialty grades—particularly IC substrate materials and ultra-low-loss variants—can run 6-12 weeks depending on demand cycles. The AI chip boom has created periodic constraints on ABF substrate capacity, so plan ahead for those applications.

5. How do I get technical support from Nanya?

For material selection and technical questions, your best first contact is usually your PCB fabricator—they have established relationships with laminate suppliers and can request specific data. For direct support, Nanya’s Electronic Materials Division in Taipei handles technical inquiries. Their datasheets are comprehensive, but for stack-up simulation parameters or application-specific recommendations, don’t hesitate to request FAE support through your distributor.

Conclusion

Nanya has built a solid position in the PCB materials market through vertical integration, consistent quality, and a product range that covers most application requirements. Their materials won’t be the absolute lowest cost for basic applications, nor the absolute highest performance for extreme RF designs—but they hit a sweet spot for the vast majority of designs from consumer electronics to servers to automotive.

The IC substrate business positions them well for growth as AI and advanced packaging drive demand for more sophisticated chip interconnects. If you’re designing in this space, understanding Nanya’s capabilities—and limitations—helps you make informed material decisions that balance cost, performance, and supply chain risk.

For most projects, I’d recommend starting with Nanya’s standard datasheets, working with your fabricator to validate manufacturability, and requesting samples for critical applications. Their technical data is reliable, and the materials perform as specified—which is ultimately what matters when you’re trying to get a product out the door.