Samsung Electro-Mechanics Advances Commercialization of Glass Substrates! Collaborates with Multiple Semiconductor Clients on Sample Development
Samsung Electro-Mechanics has officially launched the commercialization process for semiconductor glass substrates, transferring related operations from its Advanced Technology Development Division to a newly established dedicated commercialization unit. Industry observers interpret this move as a substantive step into the semiconductor glass substrate market, marking the technology's transition from R&D to industrialization.
Industry sources reveal that Samsung Electro-Mechanics recently completed an organizational restructuring, relocating the semiconductor glass substrate division from its Central Research Institute to the Packaging Solutions Business Division. Previously, this division had long been under the Central Research Institute, primarily responsible for core R&D of glass substrate technology.
The groundwork for this restructuring was laid last year when Samsung Electro-Mechanics appointed Joo Hyuk, the long-time head of glass substrate research at the Central Research Institute, as the head of the Packaging Solutions Business Division. Subsequently, the company gradually integrated all R&D and operational personnel related to glass substrates into this division, achieving seamless coordination between R&D and commercialization.
Insiders indicate the core significance of this departmental transfer lies in the company's formal initiation of commercialization preparations: Samsung Electro-Mechanics has not only mastered core semiconductor glass substrate technologies but is also steadily advancing mass production readiness, progressively establishing the full process for technology implementation.
Semiconductor glass substrates replace traditional plastic materials with glass, offering distinct advantages such as minimal warping deformation and ease of achieving fine circuit patterns. This significantly enhances semiconductor device performance, rapidly establishing them as a critical core substrate in the AI semiconductor sector. Currently, global leading semiconductor companies including Samsung Electronics, Intel, Broadcom, AMD, and AWS are actively evaluating the adoption of such substrates.
Public records indicate Samsung Electro-Mechanics formally announced its entry into the semiconductor glass substrate market in 2024, establishing a pilot production line at its Sejong plant that same year. In November, the company formed a joint venture with Japanese chemical giant Sumitomo Chemical Group to accelerate manufacturing and supply of its core semiconductor glass substrate product, “Glass Core.”
Industry consensus holds that the semiconductor glass substrate industry currently faces two major core technical bottlenecks: first, copper plating/electroplating technology for internal glass signals; second, the “microcrack” issue closely related to substrate durability and product quality. In response, Samsung Electro-Mechanics has explicitly stated it will continue advancing the upgrade and optimization of these key technologies, while planning to deepen cooperation with relevant materials, components, and equipment (MSE) companies to resolve industry pain points.
Samsung Electro-Mechanics anticipates the glass substrate era will formally commence after 2027. The company is currently collaborating with multiple global core semiconductor clients on glass substrate sample development. During its 2025 earnings conference call, Samsung Electro-Mechanics also explicitly stated it will establish a glass substrate supply chain system ahead of schedule, initiate mass production in a timely manner based on key partners' demands, and fully advance market-leading initiatives in this field to seize early development opportunities.