South Korea’s top chip makers, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, are making significant advancements in chip making by betting big on glass substrates. Glass substrates are being hailed as a “game changer” in the field, as they have the potential to drastically boost the data capacity and speed of semiconductors in the era of artificial intelligence. With their high heat resistance and flatness, glass substrates have emerged as the key material in chip making, surpassing the limitations of plastics and increasing the performance and power efficiency of chips for high-performance computing and AI applications.
One of the major advantages of glass substrates is their superior dimensional stability. They can support a larger area for finer patterning compared to conventional plastic substrates. Additionally, glass substrates are thinner than plastic substrates, allowing for a significant enhancement in chip processing speed by around 40% while reducing power consumption by more than 30%.
For major chipmakers like Samsung and SK hynix, the mission has become to develop the necessary technology to overcome challenges such as the brittleness of glass and establish dominance in this nascent market. Absolics, the advanced packaging affiliate of SKC, is expected to be the first company to mass produce the glass core substrates. In 2021, SKC, the investment arm of SK Group, announced plans to mass produce glass substrates and established Absolics in collaboration with Applied Materials. With a production volume of 12,0000-square-meter glass core substrates, Absolics is set to start mass production in the first half of 2025. The company also has plans to build an additional manufacturing plant with an annual production capacity of 72,000 square meters.
Samsung Electronics is also making significant strides in the glass substrate market. Chairman Lee Jae-yong recently visited the headquarters of Samsung Electro-Mechanics, which has announced its intention to tap into the glass substrate market and aims to begin mass production by 2026. Competitors like LG Innotek are also exploring their technologies to potentially enter this emerging market. LG Innotek’s CEO, Moon Hyuk-soo, mentioned that the company is preparing for glass substrates as one of its major clients, a US chip firm, has shown great interest in them.
Even global tech giants are recognizing the potential of glass substrates and are entering the competition. Last year, Intel announced its roadmap to adopt glass substrates in its chips by around 2028 and invested $1 billion towards this goal. Companies like AMD and Nvidia are also eyeing the application of glass substrates as early as 2026. Corning Korea, a major player in the glass industry, is determined to expand its presence in the glass substrate market for semiconductors. Japan’s leading plastic substrate company, Ibiden, is also looking to venture into the glass substrate market, as evident in its financial report.
According to market tracker Marketsandmarkets, the global glass substrate market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 3.5% and reach $8.4 billion by 2028. This demonstrates the immense potential and attractiveness of the glass substrate market in the semiconductor industry.
The adoption of glass substrates in chip making is a significant development that holds the promise of revolutionizing the capabilities and efficiency of semiconductors. With the backing of major chip makers like Samsung and SK hynix, as well as the interest of global tech giants, glass substrates are set to reshape the future of the semiconductor industry in the era of artificial intelligence.
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