According to the report, Samsung Electronics plans to introduce glass substrates in chip packaging from 2028, a move that is seen as an important turning point in the evolution of semiconductor technology. According to Korean media ETNews, this is the first time that Samsung has officially announced the technology roadmap for the transformation from traditional silicon interposer to glass interposer, which means that the material system in the field of chip packaging will usher in deep innovation.
Glass interposer: a new hope for AI chip packaging
In advanced packaging, especially 2.5D packaging architectures, the interposer plays a role as a bridge between logic chips (such as GPUs) and high-bandwidth memory (HBM), which directly affects the data transmission speed and the overall performance of the package. As the demand for bandwidth and computing efficiency for AI chips continues to grow, traditional silicon interposers are difficult to meet the requirements of next-generation systems due to high cost and limited dimensional stability.
In contrast, glass interposers have a number of advantages: they are more suitable for laying ultra-fine lines, have better dimensional stability and thermal performance, and have lower production costs than silicon, which is expected to improve the overall packaging yield and lower the manufacturing threshold of high-performance computing chips. Therefore, glass interposers are regarded as one of the important development directions of AI chip packaging.
Pictured: Samsung plans to replace silicon with a glass interposer by 2028 (Source: WCCFTECH)
Samsung's differentiated path: small size cut-in, accelerate the landing
Although manufacturers such as AMD are also advancing related plans, Samsung has opted for a more flexible technology strategy on the implementation path. Unlike previous attempts to use 510x515mm ultra-large glass panels, Samsung is currently focusing on developing glass modules that are smaller than 100x100mm. While slightly inferior in terms of economies of scale, this size significantly speeds up the prototyping cycle and leads to faster time to market.
At the same time, Samsung has incorporated its panel-level packaging (PLP) production line in Cheonan, which uses square panels instead of traditional round wafers, allowing for higher utilization and flexibility in the packaging process. Combined with its resource integration capabilities in high-bandwidth memory (HBM), wafer foundry, and advanced packaging, Samsung hopes to build an "AI all-in-one solution" and establish a complete ecological closed loop in the era of AI chips.
Seizing the first mover advantage: prioritizing strategic upgrading and commercial potential
The rapid expansion of the AI industry is driving a strong demand for high-performance computing chips. Against this backdrop, Samsung's glass substrate layout not only enhances its technological competitiveness, but also opens up new growth channels for its foundry and packaging businesses. Once the mass production is mature, it can not only meet the needs of its own products, but also attract third-party orders and drive revenue expansion.
From the overall trend, the semiconductor industry is accelerating the transition to new packaging materials. Samsung's advance layout of the glass interposer shows its ambition to seize the initiative in the next generation of chip packaging technology.
In the future, the commercialization of glass substrates and the synergies of the industrial chain may become a key driving force for the AI hardware ecosystem.
