{"id":22424,"date":"2023-12-08T22:11:37","date_gmt":"2023-12-09T03:11:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/a2globalelectronics.com\/?p=22424"},"modified":"2023-12-11T09:14:20","modified_gmt":"2023-12-11T14:14:20","slug":"how-glass-substrates-will-impact-performance-flexibility-and-scaling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/a2globalelectronics.com\/ja\/global-sourcing\/how-glass-substrates-will-impact-performance-flexibility-and-scaling\/","title":{"rendered":"How Glass Substrates Will Impact Performance, Flexibility, and Scaling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” module_alignment=”center” custom_padding=”|||0px||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”239px” custom_padding=”|||1px||” inline_fonts=”Arial,Verdana” global_colors_info=”{}”]

Engineers are turning to packaging substrates to optimize electronic devices in preparation for an era that relies heavily on big data and computationally enormous artificial intelligence algorithms.<\/h2>\n

One specific branch of packaging substrate research aims to find a scalable solution that will shift the semiconductor industry from carbon-based substrates to glass. Glass substrates aren\u2019t new, but their use has picked up steam as major tech companies plan next-generation releases for the latter part of this decade, with Intel leading the charge. Here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n

It’s no contest between carbon and glass substrates in terms of performance.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Georgia Tech\u2019s 3D Systems Packaging Research Center (PRC) is the largest academic center in the world that focuses on advanced packaging. The PRC is a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center that collaborates with 14 universities and 48 government and industry organizations, including Intel. In fact, Intel Fellow Dr. Ravi Mahajan was one of the PRC\u2019s initial Industry Advisory Board members<\/a> announced in 2022. A full list of big-name collaborators<\/a> hints at the scale that this technology is likely to be deployed once all the kinks are worked out.<\/p>\n

PRC Director,\u00a0Madhavan Swaminathan, describes seven key benefits<\/a> of glass over traditional, organic (carbon-based) substrates, including:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. smoothness, which enables dense connectivity between chips;<\/li>\n
  2. tailorable thermal expansion, which improves reliability;<\/li>\n
  3. stiffness, which eases manufacturability;<\/li>\n
  4. zero moisture absorption, which improves stability;<\/li>\n
  5. low thermal conductivity, which isolates hotspots;<\/li>\n
  6. dielectric insulation, which improves performance;<\/li>\n
  7. and large-area panel processing, which reduces cost.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In academia, these factors could enable novel research in disciplines spanning computer science, aerospace, engineering, biomedical \u2014 pretty much any field that requires (or would benefit from) computational analysis. In industry, glass substrates could be particularly impactful for high-performance computing, high-temperature environments such as automotive or aerospace, 6G wireless, and miniaturized consumer electronics.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe PRC has been pioneering glass substrate technology for many years,\u201d says Swaminathan. \u201cWith applications emerging in artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and high-end communications, we expect glass substrates as being the next technology of the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

    So if glass substrates undeniably outperform organic substrates, why has it taken so long for companies to shift gears to glass?<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    This is why we can\u2019t have nice things \u2014 yet.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The downside is that glass electronics have to be handled like they\u2019re\u2026well, made of glass. When Apple first released its iPhone fitted with external glass components, consumers were concerned \u2014\u00a0if not downright mad. They saw glass products as a tactic that would cause them to need to replace already expensive consumer electronics more frequently.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    That consumer backlash hasn\u2019t stopped Apple. The tech titan has been racking up patents for glass electronics for years, including an all-glass iPhone<\/a>. As one commenter responded to the news, it\u2019s easy to picture the all-glass iPhone as having \u201call the ergonomics of a bar of soap,\u201d which is exactly what manufacturers fear in the manufacturing and assembling stages of glass substrates. Or, as Intel put it<\/a>, their priority is \u201cbasically, saving glass from itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

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    Srini Pietambaram<\/a>, Principal Engineer and Module Engineering Pathfinding Lead on the Substrate Packaging Technology Development team at Intel, says they\u2019re working on designing a manufacturing ecosystem that will be able to handle the glass substrates produced at mass volume.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    There\u2019s no doubt that as research progresses glass substrate functionality will continue to be refined and scaled to meet Intel\u2019s goal<\/a> to deliver 1 trillion transistors on a package utilizing glass substrates by 2030. For now, we\u2019ll have to be content with this video footage<\/a> from inside\u202fIntel\u2019s Assembly and Test Technology Development factory.<\/p>\n

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    Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n