emib

According to a report by ZDNet Korea on the 9th, Samsung Electro-Mechanics and LG Innotek are advancing into the Intel EMIB-T packaging substrate supply chain, with related product development and testing already underway. EMIB connects chips with small silicon bridges, which Intel previously used mainly for its own chips; the improved EMIB-T is expanding external sales. The next-generation AI accelerator TPU that Google plans to launch in the second half of next year will be the first to use EMIB-T. EMIB-T inserts silicon vias for power transmission within the silicon bridge.Insiders say that Samsung Electro-Mechanics has developed EMIB substrate samples over the years and is currently advancing EMIB-T supply based on the 2.1D packaging substrate concept. Recently, LG Innotek delivered EMIB-T packaging substrates to SK Hynix for sample testing, and both parties are installing HBM on the substrate to evaluate product characteristics.Currently, EMIB-T packaging substrates are supplied by Japan's Ibiden, Shinkawa Electric, Taiwan's Xinxing Electronics, and Austria's AT&S. Ibiden has decided to utilize idle factories to construct a dedicated production line for Intel's EMIB-T substrates, with an investment scale of about 20 trillion Korean won, and it is reported that they have already received advance payments from Google, Amazon, Intel, and others.

According to DIGITIMES, the Taiwanese semiconductor supply chain reveals that advanced packaging technology is diversifying, with Intel's EMIB becoming a key option. Google TPU has confirmed the adoption of EMIB packaging, and the first TPU using this technology has met yield standards, with technology, cost, and capacity performance all aligning with Google's original criteria. The likelihood of continuing to use EMIB in future generations of TPU has significantly increased.Against the backdrop of ongoing tight capacity at TSMC's CoWoS, as long as EMIB yield and technology remain up to standard, Google will continue to adopt it. MediaTek, as a relevant ASIC partner, has some managers in its U.S. team with Intel backgrounds, facilitating smoother collaboration between the two parties. Although MediaTek still relies heavily on TSMC, its success with Intel on TPU helps solidify Google's trust, secure more projects, and provide diverse packaging solutions to cloud customers.Previously, TSMC called for more suppliers to invest in advanced packaging to share the pressure during its earnings call. The supply chain generally believes that its own capacity expansion will not be limitless, making the diversification of packaging paths, such as those from Intel, a necessary direction, and related testing equipment and interface companies are also expected to benefit.

On August 24, SK Hynix is introducing advanced packaging technologies, including Intel's EMIB, for its next-generation HBM solutions and plans to eventually enter the 3D packaging era. At the 2026 Hot Chips conference, SK Hynix's Vice President of Packaging Engineering, Jaesik Lee, delivered a presentation titled "Advanced Packaging for High Bandwidth Memory," explaining how the company will leverage advanced packaging technologies to accelerate its HBM product roadmap.Currently, SK Hynix is exploring methods such as hybrid bonding to break through the limitations of 16-layer stacking. In the future, SK Hynix also plans to address power consumption challenges by increasing the number of TSVs, improving IO speeds of logic process integration, and optimizing power distribution networks. As of the time of publication, SK Hynix's stock rose by 1.71%.

According to Taiwanese media reports, Intel's next-generation advanced packaging technology EMIB-T is facing severe yield challenges. ABF substrate supplier Unimicron stated during its earnings call on July 29 that the technology is "not yet mature," and the yield target for three EMIB-T substrate suppliers (Unimicron, Ibiden, and Shinkawa) during the initial mass production phase at the end of 2027 is only 50%.EMIB-T is Intel's advanced packaging solution that competes with TSMC's CoWoS-L, differing in that it embeds the silicon bridge directly into the substrate rather than using a silicon interposer, making substrate suppliers a key factor in determining success or failure. Google's ninth-generation TPU has confirmed that it will adopt EMIB-T packaging when it goes into mass production in 2028, with MediaTek responsible for chip co-design. If the chip successfully goes into mass production, its shipment volume is expected to challenge NVIDIA. Unimicron stated that the customer (Intel) has provided a profit guarantee mechanism, ensuring that suppliers can remain profitable even if yields are poor, and that profit margins will exceed the company's average level after achieving the 50% yield target. Currently, there is still considerable uncertainty about whether EMIB-T can achieve its mass production target by the end of 2027.