AMD’s Glass Substrate Chips Reportedly Launch Between 2025-2026 – Intel & Samsung Prep Mass Production Plans Post-2025

AMD is reportedly planning to develop Glass Substrate chips as early as 2025 as Intel & Samsung eye mass production for post-2025.

Glass substrates are used in packaging solutions to replace organic materials. They have numerous benefits, such as higher packaging strength, which ensures more extended durability & reliability, and a higher interconnected density since glass is usually much thinner than organic material. This allows the integration of multiple transistors into a single pack. It is said to overcome flaws associated with traditional methods and open a new wave of innovation for computing chips employing glass substrates.

Firms like Intel, AMD, Samsung, and LG Innotek have all expressed their intentions to initiate glass substrate production amid the potential demand from the markets. Intel was one of the first firms to disclose developments on glass substrates since the company has already announced the integration of the material in future packaging technology. Team Blue said that with glass substrates, they plan on increasing the number of chiplets, which in turn will decrease the carbon footprint and ensure faster and more efficient performance.

Intel plans to initiate mass production of the glass substrate by 2026 and has already established a research facility in Arizona, US, for this purpose. Following Intel, the next big "potential" supplier for glass substrates is expected to be none other than Samsung. The Korean giant has already entrusted their Samsung Electro-Mechanics division to initiate R&D on glass substrates and their potential use cases in AI and other emerging fields.

Moreover, Samsung is expected to utilize the work from different divisions, such as its display division, to ensure a collaborative approach to glass substrates in the future. The firm also expects to initiate mass production by 2026, with a pilot production line expected to be built by September 2024.

Another player entering the glass substrates market is SK hynix, also through its US subsidiary Absolics. The firm has invested $300 million in Covington, Georgia, to develop a dedicated production facility and has already begun mass production of prototype substrates. SK hynix plans to initiate mass production by early 2025, making it one of the first firms to enter the race for glass substrates.

Reports suggest that AMD might also be in line for the integration of glass substrates, as Team Red has already started to perform evaluation tests on glass substrate samples from global vendors. The firm looks to be ahead of others when adopting the material, which is why AMD has sped up efforts to try and establish a supply chain for when glass substrates hit mainstream markets.

It will be interesting to see how glass substrate contributes to innovation in the AI markets since it will bring more capabilities to the products utilizing the technology.