Glass Substrate

Glass Substrate Technology: Industry Applications, Material Characteristics, and Market Trends

1. Overview and Applications

Glass substrates serve as a critical foundational material for liquid crystal panels and semiconductor packaging, characterized by high flatness, chemical stability, and dimensional precision  . They are primarily used in:

TFT-LCD/OLED display devices (e.g., smartphones, TVs, monitors)

High-performance computing (HPC) applications, including AI chips and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) manufacturing  

In liquid crystal panels, glass substrates account for up to 20% of raw material costs, directly impacting key performance metrics such as resolution, light transmittance, and energy efficiency  

In semiconductor packaging, glass substrates replace organic substrates to address warpage issues. Their high wiring density enables 2.5D/3D integration and chiplet interconnection, achieving a 10× increase in interconnect density and a 30% reduction in power consumption  

2. Market Dynamics and Production Trends

The world’s first semiconductor packaging glass substrate plant is expected to complete validation and begin mass production in Q4 2024  .

Global leaders like Intel and Samsung plan to mass-produce glass-based packaging solutions by 2026, while domestic manufacturers (e.g., BOE, Visionox, Rainbow Group, Dongxu Optoelectronics) are accelerating investments.

BOE’s 8.6-generation AMOLED production line (2290mm × 2620mm glass substrates) successfully lit its first product in December 2025, with a design capacity of 32,000 substrates/month and mass production expected in 2026 .

Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Sumitomo Chemical have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint venture for glass core mass production, targeting semiconductor-grade glass substrates by 2027.

Manufacturing Processes

Material Characteristics

Glass substrates excel in:

· High Flatness & Surface Smoothness: Meets demands for sub-micron precision in chiplet integration.

· Superior Optical Properties: Ensures high light transmittance and uniformity for displays.

· Thermal Stability: Maintains structural integrity at temperatures exceeding 400°C.

· Chemical Inertness: Resists acid/alkali corrosion, ideal for harsh environments.

· Dimensional Stability: Minimizes thermal expansion (CTE ~3.5 × 10⁻⁶/K), ensuring reliability in multi-chip modules.

· Mechanical Strength: Flexural strength > 400 MPa, enhancing durability in high-stress applications.

Kartain’s Glass Substrate Capabilities

Kartain specializes in advanced glass substrates tailored for AI chip packaging, AMOLED displays, and high-frequency 5G/6G components. Our strengths include:

· Precision Manufacturing: 5μm line width capability using mSAP 3.0 technology.

· Custom Material Formulation: Dielectric constant (Dk) as low as 3.8 @ 10GHz for ultra-low signal loss.

· Rapid Prototyping: Full validation in <7 days, with scalable mass production.

· Global Supply Chain: In-house glass synthesis ensures zero dependency on external suppliers.

 Key Applications