Samsung Electronics is in the process of developing an innovative glass substrate intended for advanced semiconductor packaging, which could be available by 2028, according to recent reports. With the increasing demand for AI chips, the South Korean tech giant is looking into utilizing glass substrates as a replacement for silicon, aiming to lower manufacturing costs while enhancing performance. To achieve this, Samsung is reportedly working on smaller panel prototypes, accepting some trade-offs in manufacturing efficiency to lead the market in this new technology.
Samsung to Create Glass Interposers for AI Chips Using Panel-Level Packaging
As reported by ETNews, industry sources indicate that Samsung is intensifying efforts to create prototypes featuring glass substrates for interposers in its AI chip designs. Current semiconductor architectures utilize a 2.5D packaging layout where high-bandwidth memory (HBM) surrounds the GPU, interconnected through a silicon interposer.
In contrast to traditional silicon interposers, the adoption of glass ones would enable chipmakers to stack chiplets within the substrate and vertically stack additional chiplets atop them. Although the use of glass may lead to a slight increase in operating temperatures, the advantages include improved area utilization, signal integrity, power efficiency, and thermal performance.
Given the high production costs associated with silicon interposers, there is a movement among chip producers toward glass interposers and eventually, glass substrates. Unlike competitors like Intel and AppSolix (SKC), which are focusing on larger 510×510mm glass panels, Samsung appears to be targeting smaller units measuring less than 100×100mm.
The report indicates that while these chips may not be the most efficient in terms of production, they could position Samsung to be an early entrant in delivering AI chips that not only exhibit enhanced performance but are also easier to manufacture. Production is anticipated to begin at Samsung’s facility in Cheonan, utilizing its existing panel-level packaging (PLP) technology rather than wafer-level packaging (WLP).
Samsung is not alone in the movement to replace silicon substrates with glass. An earlier report from Economic Daily News noted that TSMC is also developing a 300×300mm panel in a pilot line based in Taiwan, with production expected to kick off using Fan-Out Panel-Level Packaging (FOPLP) by 2027.
If the claims made by the South Korean news outlet are substantiated, both Samsung and TSMC could lead the way in the semiconductor sector by launching advanced AI chips built on glass interposers rather than silicon. These technologically advanced chips could be introduced as soon as 2028, with further developments in glass substrates anticipated in the near future.
