AMD to adopt glass substrate semiconductor tech with its next-gen chips by 2025-2026

AMD is reportedly gearing up to develop glass substrate semiconductors as early as 2025, with Intel and Samsung following closely behind, aiming for 2025-2026.

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It's not just AMD, but Intel, Samsung, LG Innotek, and SK Group's US subsidiary Absolics are all systems pushing into glass substrate technology for advanced packaging. Intel announced in September 2023 that its "next-generation advanced packaging glass substrate technology" would change the entire chip packaging business.

Wait, what are glass substrates? Glass is the next generation of substrates, replacing plastic with glass substrates compared to conventional plastic substrates seeing multiple benefits. Glass substrates have a smoother surface, no longer requiring the interposer to mount chips on the substrate. Glass substrates are also thinner, improving chip processing speed by up to 40%, while reducing power consumption by 30%.

Samsung and SK hynix have spent over 10 years trying to commercialize glass substrate semiconductor technology, with the Korea Herald adding that Samsung and SK Group are "now in the final stage to start mass production".

Absolics, the chip packaging affiliate of SKC, the chip materials business affiliated with SK Group, is one of the companies that will most likely mass produce glass substrates earlier than competitor Samsung. SKC established Absolics jointly with Applied Materials in 2021 in order to develop glass substrates. The first $300 million plant will be located in Covington, Georgia, and is expected to have a production capacity of 12,000 square meters of glass substrates.

An SKC official said: "We plan to start mass production in the first half of 2025. Discussions are also underway to build the second plant with an annual production capacity of 72,000 square meters".

The headquarters of Absolics was one of the key destinations" for SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who is on a long business trip to the United States. Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Yong recently visited the headquarters of Samsung Electro-Mechanics. The company announced plans to enter the glass substrate semiconductor market and aim for mass production in 2026.