In a significant breakthrough for chip design, Intel has announced the development of a new glass substrate that promises to revolutionize the industry. As the company continues its reinvention as a foundry company, this breakthrough in substrate materials marks a major milestone in advanced chip designs.
Traditionally, when discussing chip design advancements, the focus has been on increasing clock speeds, shrinking transistors, 3D stacking, and cramming in more cores. Little attention has been given to the package substrate, which holds and connects these components. However, Intel’s new glass substrate is set to change that.
Intel’s glass substrate offers several advantages over existing organic materials. It boasts increased strength and efficiency, providing a more stable platform to accommodate the growing complexity of chip designs. One significant advantage of glass is its ability to allow for the placement of more chiplets and other components in close proximity to each other. This capability solves the issue of flexing and instability that arises with existing silicon packages using organic materials.
According to Intel, glass substrates can tolerate higher temperatures and provide 50% less pattern distortion compared to organic materials. The ultra-low flatness of glass also improves the depth of focus for lithography. Additionally, glass substrates offer the dimensional stability necessary for extremely tight layer-to-layer interconnect overlay. These capabilities not only result in a ten-fold increase in interconnect density but also enable the creation of ultra-large form-factor packages with high assembly yields.
Intel’s glass substrate opens up new possibilities for future chip designs. Intel expects to introduce chips using glass substrates first in high-performance areas such as AI, graphics, and data centers. This development underscores Intel’s commitment to advancing its packaging capabilities for its US foundries. With its glass substrate innovation, Intel has gained a competitive edge over other players in the industry, such as TSMC, which reportedly faces challenges with advanced packaging at its Phoenix, Arizona plant, necessitating the shipping of materials back to Taiwan.
In recent years, Intel has been unveiling its vision for the future of chip design. Two years ago, the company introduced its “gate-all-around” transistor design, RibbonFET, which aims to enhance performance and energy efficiency. Intel also introduced PowerVia, a technology that enables power delivery to be moved to the rear of a chip wafer. These advancements, together with the breakthrough in glass substrate, demonstrate Intel’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of chip design and delivering innovative solutions for its customers.
The implications of Intel’s glass substrate breakthrough are far-reaching. With increased interconnect density and improved dimensional stability, chip designs will be able to incorporate more components, leading to enhanced performance and functionality. The use of glass substrates in high-performance areas, such as AI and data centers, will accelerate technological advancements and drive innovation in these domains.
Moreover, Intel’s success in developing glass substrates has broader implications for the industry as a whole. Instead of solely focusing on traditional chip design elements, attention should also be given to the package substrate, as it plays a critical role in connecting and supporting the various chip components. By shining a spotlight on substrate materials, Intel has opened the door to further research and development in this area, which could yield even more significant breakthroughs in the future.
In conclusion, Intel’s breakthrough in glass substrate materials marks a significant step forward for chip design. The new glass substrate offers increased strength, efficiency, and stability, enabling the placement of more components in close proximity. This breakthrough in substrate materials has the potential to revolutionize chip design by enhancing performance, functionality, and interconnect density. As Intel continues its journey as a foundry company, this glass substrate innovation demonstrates its commitment to advancing packaging capabilities and pushing the boundaries of chip design. The industry can look forward to a future of more advanced and efficient chips, thanks to Intel’s glass substrate breakthrough.
