Recently, in the laboratory of the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Wuhan University of Technology, the hot press machine roared as it mixed, pressed, disassembled, and tested the performance of a high-frequency, high-speed, low-loss copper-clad laminate that was “ejected” by the machine.
“The quality of 5G network signal transmission is crucially dependent on the copper-clad laminate,” said Zhang Jiayi, a second-year graduate student at the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Wuhan University of Technology. He explained that these 1mm thick copper-clad laminates are fundamental materials in circuit board integrated circuit modules, which will lead the team into a domestic market worth hundreds of billions.
Zhang Jiayi participated in the second Wuhan University Student “Hero Cup” Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition (hereinafter referred to as the Innovation Competition) with this achievement. In the “Chucai Gathering Han: Building a Pivot Together” initiative, his startup company has continued to receive support for development, and this technological achievement has been transformed and expanded locally in Wuhan. A series of intensive entrepreneurial incentive policies have greatly encouraged this young team. It is reported that by the end of this year, the company will complete the debugging of pilot line equipment and production trial work, achieving small batch delivery of standard products.
Zhang Jiayi (right) and team members developed high-frequency, high-speed copper-clad laminates that are comparable in thickness to an ID card, with performance far exceeding that of traditional copper-clad laminates. Photo by Liu Chenwei.
Finding Direction on Wuhan’s Industrial Map
In recent years, to build a modern industrial system that reflects Wuhan’s advantages, the city has vigorously cultivated an innovative culture, striving to create a city of innovation and entrepreneurship that attracts talent from near and far.
“We hope that in this fertile entrepreneurial land of Wuhan, we can grow from a small tree into a towering tree, bearing abundant fruits.” It is precisely the strong atmosphere of “double innovation and double drive” in Wuhan that ignited the entrepreneurial spark in Zhang Jiayi’s heart.
Zhang Jiayi initially enrolled in the automation major but, influenced by the campus entrepreneurial atmosphere, switched to economics in his sophomore year. To find entrepreneurial projects, he visited various school laboratories and encountered new technologies in materials science.
Advanced manufacturing relies on the support of new materials, and the development of the new materials industry is a crucial part of Hubei’s promotion of the “51020” modern industrial cluster upgrade.
“Huangshi is the third-largest printed circuit board industry base in the country, and Wuhan has a large number of electronic information technology companies, which is where our entrepreneurial hope lies,” Zhang Jiayi analyzed, deciding to focus on the new materials field for his startup in Wuhan.
What specific direction to choose? He met Professor Shen Jie from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Wuhan University of Technology.
“Wherever circuit boards are used, copper-clad laminates will definitely be used,” Zhang Jiayi explained. Copper-clad laminates are responsible for signal transmission. With the advent of the artificial intelligence era, various 5G communication products are becoming smaller while needing to increase capacity, requiring lower signal loss and environmental reliability at higher frequencies and speeds, which traditional copper-clad laminates cannot meet.
They focused on the direction of polytetrafluoroethylene-based high-frequency copper-clad laminates: as the highest-end electronic circuit substrate material in the copper-clad laminate field, polytetrafluoroethylene-based high-frequency copper-clad laminates have characteristics such as low dielectric constant and low dielectric loss, allowing for fast signal propagation with no distortion during transmission, making them a key material in the era of high frequency and high speed.
Gaining Support from the Innovation Competition for Product Iteration and Optimization
In 2022, while in his junior year, Zhang Jiayi, under the guidance of Professor Shen Jie, founded Wuhan Fuxing Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Fuxing Technology), focusing on the research and production of high-frequency composite dielectric substrate products.
In the laboratory, a reporter from the Yangtze River Daily saw that the thickness of the high-frequency, high-speed copper-clad laminate is comparable to that of an ID card, and to ensure its performance far exceeds that of traditional copper-clad laminates, the team must work hard on “technology and tough work”.
Team member Dr. Zhang Tianchi proudly introduced that through their efforts, the product’s dielectric constant has been reduced to 2.3, and the dielectric loss has been reduced to 0.0015, achieving ultra-low dielectric constant while maintaining low loss, with the product’s signal transmission speed and stability reaching internationally advanced levels.
In 2023, after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in economics, Zhang Jiayi decided to pursue a direct PhD in materials science. It was also in this year that Zhang Jiayi represented the team in the second Innovation Competition and won second place.
“The competition provided us with development support,” team member Zhang Yixuan explained. When they received the prize money, it was a critical moment when the team needed funding for equipment development. They invested the prize money into research and development, and within six months, they completed the independent design and optimization of the immersion scraping glue scraping rod in the production equipment, improving the stability and yield of the product by 20%.
Professor Shen Jie stated that the Innovation Competition helped the team connect with several downstream circuit board companies, and through technical exchanges with different companies, the team clarified specific downstream needs and requirements, enhancing product adaptability and achieving iteration. At the same time, the competition committee organized the team to connect with multiple investment institutions, allowing the team to build an “investment resource pool” in advance.
Zhang Jiayi mentioned that the participating teams in the Innovation Competition came from various industries, and they happened to connect with a team from the electronic information industry. Currently, Fuxing Technology has begun supplying products to them.
From Wuhan to the Billion-Level Blue Ocean
“Promoting key technology breakthroughs is essential to maintain a competitive advantage in fierce competition.” In the laboratory, several team members, dressed in work clothes and gloves, are intensively conducting dielectric and mechanical performance tests on high-frequency copper-clad laminates.
To achieve the best product results, the team strives for perfection.
In the new materials field, the scientific ratio of raw materials is the key to technology. Zhang Jiayi recalled that through simulations and experiments, they tried over 100,000 raw material ratios. For one type of ceramic filler, they experimented with over ten varieties. After repeated trials, they finally independently developed and determined a ceramic filler with excellent overall performance, “the product cost can be controlled below 2000 yuan per square meter, achieved through countless experiments.”
In March of this year, Jiang’an District issued the first batch of “seed enterprise” recruitment notices, and in May, Fuxing Technology was selected as one of the first “seed enterprises”. In the future, the company will receive financial support, as well as professional services from experts in finance, talent, approvals, law, and data to assist in solving various problems.
Currently, Fuxing Technology’s product signal stability has improved by 60% compared to products on the market ten years ago, with prices only one-third of similar products from foreign companies, and all parameters have received certification from authoritative institutions. Zhang Jiayi reported that the company has applied for 11 related utility model patents and 5 software copyrights, and has reached intention orders with 5 units.
Zhang Jiayi stated that as the commercialization of 5G technology continues to advance, the number of 5G base stations will significantly increase, continuously driving the explosive demand for high-frequency copper-clad laminates.
“With so much support, we are more confident.” Zhang Jiayi said that the next step is to continue to break through the “technical code” of high-frequency, high-speed copper-clad laminates, relying on solid products to move from Wuhan to the billion-level blue ocean.
Source: Yangtze River Daily
