Samsung’s Push into Glass Substrates

Inspection of the Glass Substrate Value Chain

Samsung Electronics Explores Entry into the Glass Substrate Business. Meetings Held with Key Materials, Components, and Equipment Suppliers

Recent reports indicate that Samsung Electronics has held direct meetings with several key materials, components, and equipment companies, suggesting a potential entry into the glass substrate market. Currently, a pilot line has not been established, and the company is considering either in-house production through its affiliates or outsourcing. If Samsung Electronics directly pursues the glass substrate business, a structure might emerge—taking into account potential conflicts of interest among affiliates—in which Samsung Electro-Mechanics handles glass packaging, while Samsung Electronics is responsible for glass interposers.

Focus on Securing Next-Generation Packaging, Including Glass Substrates, Following the PLP Business Acquisition

Since acquiring the PLP business, Samsung Electronics has been striving to secure next-generation packaging technologies, including glass substrates. On April 30, 2019, Samsung Electro-Mechanics transferred its Panel Level Package (PLP) business to Samsung Electronics for 785 billion won. This transfer, conducted via a business acquisition, included all personnel and business rights. Since then, Samsung Electronics has continuously developed advanced packaging technologies, increasing the likelihood of investment in the glass substrate business.

Glass Substrates Continue to Stand Out as Next-Generation Platforms

Glass substrates are recognized as a next-generation technology that complements conventional organic substrates (FR4) due to their unique features:

1. They do not bend,

2. They offer high flatness, and

3. They have smooth surfaces.

Compared to core layers made from organic materials, glass substrates possess a higher modulus (a measure of material strength and elasticity), enabling them to maintain their form even when scaled to larger sizes. Furthermore, glass substrates offer the advantages of lower cost and the ability to overcome the limitations in implementing fine circuits and large-area applications. Mitsubishi Electric recently announced the development of a glass carrier designed for 2μm processes, and according to Absolix, the smooth surface reduces signal attenuation and heat generation—potentially enhancing power efficiency by 50% compared to conventional organic substrates. Additionally, transistor integration density can be significantly increased. Intel aims to integrate 1 trillion transistors post-2030 using glass core substrates and is planning ultra-large chiplets measuring 240mm x 240mm, which presents the advantage of enabling larger area implementations compared to the current FC-BGA roadmap (100mm x 100mm).

Recent Challenge: Difficulty in Copper Plating on Glass Substrates

A current challenge lies in the smooth physical properties of glass substrates, which make copper plating difficult. Unlike conventional organic substrates that benefit from surface roughness to facilitate copper plating, glass is non-conductive and its smooth surface hinders direct copper contact. To address this issue, processes such as Ti/Cu seed layer deposition followed by electroplating are required; however, achieving uniform plating quality remains challenging. Overcoming this hurdle is expected to accelerate the commercial viability of glass substrates.

The following subscriber-only section covers the current state of glass substrates among U.S. big tech companies and the glass substrate value chain.