Intel Foundry is leading the race towards Glass Substrates with its Rio Rancho facility, aiming to become the world's first to initiate mass production.
Announced back in 2023, Intel's Glass Substrates not only help reduce warpage issues but also provide a significant increase in densities and interconnect capabilities. Earlier this year, Intel showcased its first "Glass Core" substrate with EMIB Advanced packaging, and since then, the company has been drawing interest for the tech from major firms such as Apple and Tesla. Both of these companies have already partnered with Intel to leverage Chipzilla's advanced process technologies, such as 18A-P and 14A.
Since then, Intel partners have backed the development of glass substrates aggressively. Amkor's lead engineer recently said that Glass Substrates will be ready for commercialization within three years. And it looks like we already have a hint at where the first Glass Substrates will be made.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger holds up a glass carrier wafer with silicon photonic integrated circuits die stacks. Gelsinger displayed the wafer on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, at Intel Innovation in San Jose, California. (Credit: Intel Corporation)
As per Forbes, Intel's Rio Rancho fab, based in New Mexico, is manufacturing silicon photonics for external customers. Silicon Photonics and Co-Packaged Optics are set to reshape the data center segment, adding faster interconnects that replace reliance on copper, scaling down costs and power requirements. The first prototypes of Glass Substrates featuring Co-Packaged optics were recently showcased and aim for a rollout by 2030.
Coming back to Rio Rancho, the Intel fab opened up its doors for manufacturing in the 1980s and went on to become the leading manufacturing facility across the globe during the 1990s-2000s. But now, the facility is aiming to become the Crown Jewel of the next chapter in semiconductors: Glass Substrates and Silicon Photonics.
Forbes reports that Rio Rancho is all set to become the world's first facility to mass-produce glass substrates. Currently, the Chandler facility is available only on a pilot line, whereas Rancho is going for full-on volume.
Additionally, quoting channel sources, Forbes reports that Intel has already partnered with major external customers for its Foundry business. These include AWS and Cisco, who are current customers, and Apple, Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Tesla, all engaged with Intel and discussing further collaborations.
Intel's bets in its Foundry business seem to be paying off really well. There was a time when reports suggested that Intel would spin off its Foundry business, but today, Intel Foundry is set to become its biggest revenue generator if everything sails smoothly.
Intel Foundry is positioning itself at the forefront of the semiconductor industry's next major leap. By advancing glass core substrates at its Rio Rancho facility—poised to become the world's first site for mass production, Intel is addressing critical limitations in traditional packaging while unlocking higher densities, better performance, and superior interconnects.
With strong interest from industry giants like Apple, Tesla, NVIDIA, Microsoft, and others, and growing momentum in silicon photonics, Intel’s bold investments in advanced packaging are paying off. What was once considered a risky bet now looks set to become a cornerstone of its future success. The future of semiconductors is taking shape on glass, and Intel is leading the way.
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Glass Substrates Are The Future of Semiconductors & Intel Foundry is Well on Its Way To Become The First To Initiate Mass Production
Glass Core substrates have been gaining interest, as they have several benefits over traditional organic substrate solutions. The current substrates are also facing shortages due to the AI supercycle, leading one of the biggest substrate suppliers, Ajinomoto, to raise prices. These supply constraints are pushing the industry to look into new advanced packaging solutions, and that's where Glass substrates come in.Announced back in 2023, Intel's Glass Substrates not only help reduce warpage issues but also provide a significant increase in densities and interconnect capabilities. Earlier this year, Intel showcased its first "Glass Core" substrate with EMIB Advanced packaging, and since then, the company has been drawing interest for the tech from major firms such as Apple and Tesla. Both of these companies have already partnered with Intel to leverage Chipzilla's advanced process technologies, such as 18A-P and 14A.
Since then, Intel partners have backed the development of glass substrates aggressively. Amkor's lead engineer recently said that Glass Substrates will be ready for commercialization within three years. And it looks like we already have a hint at where the first Glass Substrates will be made.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger holds up a glass carrier wafer with silicon photonic integrated circuits die stacks. Gelsinger displayed the wafer on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, at Intel Innovation in San Jose, California. (Credit: Intel Corporation)
As per Forbes, Intel's Rio Rancho fab, based in New Mexico, is manufacturing silicon photonics for external customers. Silicon Photonics and Co-Packaged Optics are set to reshape the data center segment, adding faster interconnects that replace reliance on copper, scaling down costs and power requirements. The first prototypes of Glass Substrates featuring Co-Packaged optics were recently showcased and aim for a rollout by 2030.
Coming back to Rio Rancho, the Intel fab opened up its doors for manufacturing in the 1980s and went on to become the leading manufacturing facility across the globe during the 1990s-2000s. But now, the facility is aiming to become the Crown Jewel of the next chapter in semiconductors: Glass Substrates and Silicon Photonics.
Forbes reports that Rio Rancho is all set to become the world's first facility to mass-produce glass substrates. Currently, the Chandler facility is available only on a pilot line, whereas Rancho is going for full-on volume.
Additionally, quoting channel sources, Forbes reports that Intel has already partnered with major external customers for its Foundry business. These include AWS and Cisco, who are current customers, and Apple, Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Tesla, all engaged with Intel and discussing further collaborations.
Intel's bets in its Foundry business seem to be paying off really well. There was a time when reports suggested that Intel would spin off its Foundry business, but today, Intel Foundry is set to become its biggest revenue generator if everything sails smoothly.
Intel Foundry is positioning itself at the forefront of the semiconductor industry's next major leap. By advancing glass core substrates at its Rio Rancho facility—poised to become the world's first site for mass production, Intel is addressing critical limitations in traditional packaging while unlocking higher densities, better performance, and superior interconnects.
With strong interest from industry giants like Apple, Tesla, NVIDIA, Microsoft, and others, and growing momentum in silicon photonics, Intel’s bold investments in advanced packaging are paying off. What was once considered a risky bet now looks set to become a cornerstone of its future success. The future of semiconductors is taking shape on glass, and Intel is leading the way.
Intel Foundry's Rio Rancho Facility To Become Its Crown Jewel In Production of Next-Gen Glass Substrates
Intel Foundry is leading the race towards Glass Substrates with its Rio Rancho facility to become the world's first to begin mass production.
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