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Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Qualcomm Jointly Develop Organic Bridge for Advanced 2.1D AI Semiconductor Packaging

The Elec South Korea
Overview
Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Qualcomm have collaborated to develop an ‘organic bridge’ technology for advanced 2.1D packaging in AI semiconductors. This innovation facilitates high-density, high-bandwidth interconnects between dies like GPUs and HBMs by utilizing organic materials in the substrate manufacturing process, differing from Intel’s silicon-based EMIB. This approach aims to boost AI chip performance while offering a potentially more cost-effective and flexible packaging solution.
In Depth

Key Findings

Samsung Electro-Mechanics, in collaboration with Qualcomm, has successfully co-developed an ‘organic bridge’ technology for advanced 2.1D packaging, specifically targeting AI semiconductors. This breakthrough enables significantly increased input/output (I/O) density and bandwidth between disparate dies, such as graphics processing units (GPUs) and high-bandwidth memory (HBM), which is critical for enhancing AI chip computational capabilities. The organic bridge serves a similar function to Intel’s silicon-based EMIB but leverages organic materials within the substrate manufacturing process rather than traditional semiconductor fabrication, offering a novel approach to multi-die integration.

Technical Details

The organic bridge technology distinguishes itself by employing organic materials manufactured during the substrate production process, presenting a more flexible and potentially cost-efficient alternative to silicon-based interposers. This method effectively creates high-density interconnects, allowing for the seamless integration of multiple chips within a single package. By utilizing organic substrates, the technology aims to circumvent some of the manufacturing complexities and material costs associated with silicon interposers, while still achieving the necessary electrical performance for advanced packaging. This allows for closer proximity and faster communication between logic and memory components, a bottleneck in many high-performance computing applications.

Background & Context

The accelerating demand for AI computing power has pushed the boundaries of traditional chip design, making advanced packaging a critical factor in semiconductor performance. The integration of various functional dies, like HBM and high-performance processors, into a single package (2.5D/3D packaging) is essential, but current silicon-based interposer solutions face challenges in cost, yield, and manufacturing complexity. The organic bridge emerges as a strategic alternative, particularly in the 2.1D packaging domain, which bridges the gap between traditional 2D and more complex 2.5D structures. This development by Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Qualcomm signals a growing trend towards material diversification and process innovation in the advanced packaging landscape, offering chip designers more options to optimize performance and cost for AI accelerators.

Strategic Significance & Outlook

The introduction of organic bridge technology holds significant implications for the future of AI semiconductor development. It promises to enable higher performance at a potentially lower cost, fostering broader adoption of advanced packaging across various AI applications, from data centers to edge devices. This joint development highlights the industry’s continuous effort to innovate beyond silicon for inter-die connectivity. The collaboration between a leading component manufacturer and a major chip designer could accelerate the standardization and commercialization of such organic-based packaging solutions, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape of advanced packaging and contributing to the overall advancement of the AI ecosystem.

Source: https://www.thelec.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=13907

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