Materials · supply watch

PCB material supply watch

Six materials set most PCB lead times in 2026: low-loss CCL, M9-class CCL, low-Dk glass cloth, T-glass, HVLP4 copper foil and drill bits. This page tracks their status from public reporting each month, so a stackup can be planned around what is obtainable rather than discovered to be allocated after the purchase order.

Last reviewed Tecsply Inc. engineering

Status by material

Every row below comes from public industry reporting with the source linked; it describes the market, not a quotation or a Tecsply allocation.

Updated . Market status from public reports, not a quotation.

Material2026 statusLead timeWhat it meansSources
Low-loss CCL, M6 to M8Allocated under quota systems8–16 weeks (mid-2026); 14–18 weeks for advanced grades (Aug 2026); up to about 6 months at the March 2026 peakConfirm allocation before a stackup is frozen; new M7/M8 capacity is booked by AI server, switch and satellite customers.DIGITIMES, Mar 2026 NextPCB, 2026 Atlas PCB, Aug 2026
M9-class CCLEarly volume; reserved by the largest buyersUp to about 140 days (mid-2026)Makers report M9 certification with volume from the second half of 2026; interim 'M8+' constructions upgrade only the glass, foil or resin.NextPCB, 2026 CTEE, Nov 2025
Low-Dk glass clothShortRelief not expected before new capacity in the second half of 2027Nittobo holds over half of high-end cloth; Taiwan Glass is expanding high-end lines. 7628 cloth was up about 140% from Q3 2025 by August 2026.UDN, 2026 TechNews, Jan 2026 Atlas PCB, Aug 2026
T-glass (low-CTE cloth)Allocated; Nittobo about 90% of supplyNew Nittobo capacity from mid-2027 at the earliestQualifying alternatives: Taiwan Glass and Fulltech low-CTE cloth (shipping in small volume), AGY L-HDI in the US (customer qualification). T-glass controls warpage, not loss.TrendForce CTEE, May 2026 CompositesWorld, Feb 2026
HVLP4 copper foilShortfall about 1,500 t in 2026, widening to about 2,500 t in 20276–8 months from overseas makersThree makers hold 80–90% of high-end supply; qualifying a new foil source takes 6–12 months at the customer after the maker's own ramp.PCBA-HYH, Jul 2026 DIGITIMES, Jun 2026
PCB drill bitsShort for high-layer AI boardsCapacity expanding through 2027Harder low-loss materials cut hits per bit from about 3,000 to under 800, so high-end bit use rose more than sixfold.CTEE, Mar 2026

How to use it when planning a stackup

Treat an allocated material as a lead-time risk rather than a reason to avoid it. For a channel that needs M7 or better, confirm allocation before the stackup is frozen and keep a qualified alternative from a second maker; the material advisor lists cross-vendor options with their plants and qualification time. Where warpage rather than loss drives the choice of T-glass, a symmetric, thicker core can sometimes relieve the need for it.

References

  1. DIGITIMES, TrendForce, CTEE (Commercial Times), UDN, TechNews, NextPCB, Atlas PCB and PCBA-HYH reporting, March to September 2026, linked in each row.