In a major talent shift within the semiconductor industry, Intel’s 2024 Inventor of the Year, Duan Gang, has officially joined Samsung Electro-Mechanics as Executive Vice President of Packaging Solutions.
Duan spent 17 years at Intel, holds nearly 500 patents, and is widely recognized as a global authority in advanced chip packaging, particularly in Embedded Multi-die Interconnect Bridge (EMIB) and glass substrate technologies.
Why Advanced Chip Packaging Matters #
As transistor scaling approaches physical limits, future performance gains increasingly depend on heterogeneous integration—the ability to tightly package CPUs, GPUs, memory, and accelerators.
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EMIB at Intel: Duan was one of the core developers of EMIB, a cost-efficient alternative to full silicon interposers. By embedding tiny silicon bridges only where high bandwidth is needed, EMIB supports multi-terabit per second interconnects, already deployed in Intel’s server CPUs to link processors and caches with lower latency.
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Glass Substrate R&D: Duan also spearheaded Intel’s glass substrate research. Compared to organic substrates, glass offers lower thermal expansion, higher heat resistance (400°C+), and superior flatness, enabling sub-micron wiring and future chips with over 1 trillion transistors. Intel’s prototype glass substrates measure ~100µm thick with laser-drilled vertical interconnects, with mass production initially targeted for late 2025.
Intel’s Strategic Shift #
In 2024, Intel paused in-house glass substrate development to cut costs amid heavy foundry losses, opting to source substrates from third-party suppliers. These commercial glass substrates measure up to 510mm × 515mm with flatness tolerances under 1µm, suitable for volume manufacturing.
Instead, Intel doubled down on Foveros 3D stacking, which uses copper-to-copper interconnects for multi-layer chip integration. Several Foveros-based products are already in mass production.
Samsung’s Glass Substrate Ambitions #
Duan’s move now places him at the heart of Samsung’s glass substrate program.
- Samsung plans to establish a pilot line in early 2025 and target volume production by 2027, with applications in high-performance computing (HPC) and AI chips.
- Its glass substrates use chemical etching processes, keeping thickness below 100µm, with 10–20% lower power consumption and high thermal cycle endurance for automotive and aerospace markets.
- Samsung is also collaborating with material suppliers to ensure compatibility with existing packaging lines.
Duan’s expertise in micro-bump interconnects and redistribution layers (RDL) is expected to shorten Samsung’s path to commercialization. By 2028, Samsung aims to apply glass substrates across mainstream chip packaging.
Glass Substrate as the Next Packaging Breakthrough #
Glass substrates support larger package sizes (10–20mm die edges), better signal integrity, and improved thermal performance, making them ideal for 2.5D and 3D integration.
Industry tests show glass substrates can achieve:
- 2× area efficiency
- Lower signal loss
- Higher reliability for AI training workloads
Competitors such as AMD and TSMC are also investing in glass-based packaging. AMD is expected to introduce its first glass substrate products between 2025–2026. The inherent transparency of glass also enables more accurate laser alignment and defect inspection, improving manufacturing precision.
Intel vs Samsung: Diverging Paths #
- Intel is prioritizing its 18A process node, featuring RibbonFET and PowerVia innovations, while relying on external partners for glass substrates to reduce R&D costs.
- Samsung, meanwhile, is accelerating its glass substrate development through ecosystem partnerships and pilot manufacturing, aiming for a first-mover advantage in advanced packaging.
Outlook: Talent and Strategy Define the Next Era #
Duan Gang’s transition underscores the importance of talent mobility and execution in semiconductor competition. His track record at Intel is expected to fast-track Samsung’s packaging roadmap, particularly in glass substrates, EMIB-like interconnects, and heterogeneous integration.
With HPC, AI, and automotive driving demand for high-density packaging, glass substrates are poised to become a key enabler of next-generation chip architectures.
Duan’s move not only strengthens Samsung’s technological capabilities but also highlights how strategic hires can reshape industry dynamics in the race for advanced packaging leadership.