The already-tight supply of laser drills, which are used to make equipment used in the production of high-end PCBs such as any-layer HDI boards, may worsen in the near future due to interruptions in key component supplies caused by the recent disaster in Japan, according to industry sources.

Japan-based Mitsubishi Electric recently informed its regional distributors that the company will not be taking any new orders due to disrupted production at Renesas Electronics, which produces parts and materials that it uses to make PCB laser drilling systems, the sources revealed.

Due to limited availability of the key components, Mitsubishi has also had to cancel half of its secured orders that were for delivery after May, the sources said.

Delivery of laser drill orders placed now will not begin until November or even 2012, the sources estimated. The extended lead times will likely hamper PCB companies' process upgrades and capacity expansion plans, the sources said.

In the face of rising smartphone and tablet PC demand, PCB suppliers including Compeq, Unimicron and Unitech reportedly have stepped up their purchases of new equipment used to expand capacity for HDI boards. Manufacturers of the equipment began to see their supplies fall short or tighten in late 2010.