Intel, the renowned semiconductor company, has achieved a significant breakthrough in the development of glass substrates for advanced packaging. This milestone achievement is expected to redefine the boundaries of transistor scaling and propel the advancement of Moore’s Law. Intel has set its sights on transitioning to glass substrates by the end of the decade.
Moore’s Law, which states that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles approximately every two years, has driven the rapid growth of the semiconductor industry. However, as transistor dimensions have become smaller, maintaining this pace of advancement has become increasingly challenging. To keep chip technology advancing, Intel has been tirelessly exploring new methods, and glass substrates have emerged as a promising solution.
Glass substrates allow Intel to create a chip area within a package that is 50% larger than what is currently possible. This increased space enables more chips to be fitted into a single electrical package, boosting chip performance and capacity. By the end of the decade, Intel envisions packaging a staggering 30 trillion transistors on a glass substrate, leveraging innovations like 3D chip stacking.
Besides the expanded chip capacity, glass substrates offer several advantages. They possess ultra-low flatness, enhanced thermal and mechanical stability, and significantly higher interconnect density. These unique properties empower chip architects to create high-density chip packages suitable for data-intensive workloads. Intel has been researching glass substrates for over a decade and has dedicated resources to evaluate their reliability and potential as a replacement for organic substrates.
In terms of applications, the initial focus for glass substrates will be on data centers, artificial intelligence (AI), and graphics-intensive workloads. These fields demand high-performance computing and can greatly benefit from the increased capacity and efficiency glass substrates provide.
Intel’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of compute technology does not stop at glass substrates. The company is also investing in PowerVia and RibbonFET technologies as part of its mission to achieve 1 trillion transistors in a package by 2030. Glass substrates are expected to play a pivotal role in realizing this ambitious goal.
Intel’s groundbreaking achievement in glass substrates showcases its dedication to advancing semiconductor technology. This development promises to reshape the future of computing, enabling higher performance, greater capacity, and more efficient chip designs. As Intel forges ahead, the industry eagerly awaits further breakthroughs and the realization of its transformative goals.
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