Apple iPhone 18 with A20 chip could switch to wafer-level multi-chip module packaging

Apple's next-generation iPhone 18 will feature the company's next-gen in-house A20 processor, which is reportedly shifting from InFO to WMCM (Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module) packaging.

2

The use of WMCM advanced packaging for the A20 chip will be done by TSMC, with WMCM using MUF (Molding Underfill) which integrates underfill and molding processes, reducing material consumption and process steps to improve yield and efficiency, explains insider Ming-Chi Kuo.

Eternal has "outcompeted" Japanese rivals Namics and Nagase to secure its first-ever contract as an advanced packaging materials supplier to TSMC, with mass production of the new A20 chips kicking off in 2026. This is an important step for Eternal, as meeting TSMC's stringent qualifications is no easy feat.

These changes to the advanced backend packaging materials, being composite materials, are more complex to design and produce than when it comes to frontend materials, which are primarily single-molecule. Japanese suppliers have been dominating with gross margins of 50-70% or even higher, meaning Eternal securing these orders from TSMC, is a major breakthrough for Taiwanese suppliers.

The new WMCM packaging for Apple's next-gen A20 and A20 Pro chips has some serious flexibility using this new packaging technology, where Apple can add multiple dies -- including the CPU, GPU, memory, and other parts -- at wafer level, before they are sliced into individual chips. The new packaging will allow Apple to mass-manufacture more efficient SoCs.