Samsung Electro-Mechanics Advances Glass Substrates

According to Korean media reports, Samsung Electro-Mechanics has begun accelerating the commercialization of semiconductor glass substrates, shifting the related business from its Advanced Technology Development Division to a newly established commercialization unit. The move is widely seen as a concrete step toward bringing glass substrate technology from the lab into real industrial application.

Industry sources say the team responsible for glass substrates has recently been placed under the Packaging Solutions Business Division, whereas it previously belonged to the company's Central Research Institute. Last year Samsung Electro-Mechanics appointed Joo Hyuk, who had long led glass substrate research at the institute, to head the Packaging Solutions unit. Following this appointment, the company reorganized its workforce so that personnel involved in glass substrate development were integrated into the same division.

Observers believe that transferring the development organization to the business unit in charge of substrates signals that Samsung Electro-Mechanics has secured core technology and is now preparing for mass production. Glass substrates replace traditional plastic materials and offer major advantages such as lower warpage, better thermal stability, and the ability to support finer circuit patterns. These features make them a key foundation for next-generation AI and high-performance chips, and companies including Samsung Electronics, Intel, Broadcom, AMD, and AWS are actively exploring their adoption.

In 2024 Samsung Electro-Mechanics officially entered the glass substrate field and built a pilot production line at its Sejong plant. In November of the same year, the company also announced a joint venture with Japan's Sumitomo Chemical Group to speed up the manufacturing and supply of "Glass Core," one of the most critical elements in glass substrate technology.

The industry still faces several technical hurdles, particularly copper plating inside glass vias and the micro-crack issue that directly affects durability and reliability. Samsung Electro-Mechanics plans to continue upgrading these key processes while strengthening cooperation with materials, components, and equipment partners to build a more mature ecosystem.

The company expects the full commercialization era of glass substrates to begin after 2027 and is already working with multiple global semiconductor customers on sample development. During its 2025 earnings call, Samsung Electro-Mechanics emphasized that it will establish the supply chain in advance and start mass production in line with customer demand, aiming to secure an early position in this emerging market.