Samsung is poised to revolutionize the semiconductor industry by planning to adopt glass substrates for its advanced AI chips by 2028, replacing the conventional silicon. This strategic move, according to the company, is expected to transform both the chip manufacturing process and the capabilities of the final products for consumers.
Samsung’s representatives highlight a crucial advantage of glass over silicon: its smoother surface. This characteristic promises to enhance the efficiency of chip packaging, consequently leading to improved chip performance and energy efficiency. The company forecasts that this innovative approach could potentially boost data processing speeds by up to 40% and reduce energy consumption by approximately 30% compared to current silicon-based solutions.
Furthermore, the use of glass substrates will enable a denser arrangement of chip components. This increased integration density is projected to deliver a substantial increase in AI processing power while maintaining the same physical size of the electronic components. The anticipated transition to this new material is expected to accelerate technological advancements across various sectors, ranging from autonomous vehicles to sophisticated diagnostic tools in healthcare.
This move by Samsung aligns with a broader industry trend exploring alternatives to silicon substrates to meet the growing demands of AI and high-performance computing. The superior flatness, thermal stability, and electrical properties of glass make it an attractive material for next-generation semiconductor packaging. While challenges in manufacturing and handling thin glass substrates exist, the potential benefits in performance, power efficiency, and integration density position glass as a key material in the future of advanced electronics.