Nvidia Tests Hydrocarbon Resin for Rubin Ultra NVL576 to Boost PCB Yields

The 2H27 mass production timeline for a new 8 rack interconnected server involves switching to a specific type of glass-free copper-clad laminate (CCL) to improve manufacturing efficiency. Supply chain checks by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo indicate that Nvidia is evaluating hydrocarbon resin-based CCL, paired with hydrocarbon-based polypropylene (PP), for the switch tray printed circuit boards of its Rubin Ultra NVL576. This combination is intended to replace glass-free PTFE-based CCL to increase production yields while maintaining high-frequency electrical performance, which analysts say exceeds M10 and M9 specifications though it trails the original PTFE solutions.

Shengyi Technology is the leading supplier for these evaluations, providing the SG1030N and SIF09 materials, both of which still contain small amounts of PTFE. Nvidia may eventually test woven-glass-reinforced HC PP to further optimize manufacturability, provided the materials can meet a 0.4 dB/in loss requirement. These tests are preliminary and have not yet resulted in a final material selection for the Rubin Ultra lineup.