Copper Exhibition | How High-Performance Copper Foil Is Emerging as a New Growth Engine Under the Dual Drive of 5G and AI
As 5G and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies reshape the electronics industry, high-performance copper foil is stepping out of the shadows to become a critical foundation for industrial upgrading.
Often described as the “invisible backbone” of electronics, copper foil may be thin, but its role is indispensable. Electrolytic copper foil dominates the market due to cost advantages, while rolled copper foil is favored for its ductility in early flexible circuits. In lithium-ion batteries, copper foil directly impacts energy density and cycle life. In printed circuit boards (PCBs), copper foil, combined with glass fiber cloth and resin, forms copper-clad laminates (CCL)—the essential substrate for electronic devices.
The shift to 5G has elevated copper foil to the center of the communications value chain. Antennas and RF modules in 5G base stations are highly sensitive to signal loss. Very-low-profile (VLP) and hyper-low-profile (HVLP) copper foil, with superior surface roughness (Ra) performance, significantly reduce transmission loss and are now key enablers for high-frequency, high-speed PCBs. By 2026, the construction of new 5G base stations in China alone is expected to drive a sharp increase in PCB-related copper demand. Meanwhile, smartphones—facing higher power consumption from 5G connectivity and larger batteries—are simultaneously pushing up both the performance requirements and the volume demand for copper foil.
AI adoption is creating an even larger market opportunity. AI servers require extremely high data transfer rates and signal integrity. For example, NVIDIA’s GB200 chip architecture forces a leap in PCB layer count and design complexity, in turn driving the need for advanced copper foils. HVLP copper foil (Ra < 2 μm), with ultra-low signal loss, has become the core thermal and signal solution for sustained, high-load AI computing. In advanced packaging for AI chips, demand for ultra-thin copper carrier foils (<12 μm) is also surging, accelerating the pace of domestic substitution. On the market side, a single AI server consumes roughly 30% more copper foil than a traditional server. With global AI server deployment expanding rapidly, HVLP copper foil demand is projected to soar, with the market expected to grow from $2.0 billion in 2024 to $5.95 billion by 2032 (CAGR 14.6%).
While international suppliers currently dominate the high-end segment, Chinese manufacturers are moving quickly to close the gap. Companies such as Defu Technology have secured qualification from global memory chip leaders, successfully entering NVIDIA’s top-tier supply chain.
With the dual momentum of 5G and AI, high-performance copper foil is no longer just a hidden material—it is becoming a strategic resource. Its rapid technological evolution and capacity expansion underpin the rollout of communication base stations, AI data centers, and smart devices, making it a critical lever in the electronics industry’s transformation. For investors and industry players alike, the growth trajectory of this sector is becoming increasingly certain, reinforced by both technological breakthroughs and expanding applications.
Source：Changjiang Nonferrous Metals Network