As we reported, Intel is working on glass substrates for its processors. However, this is also the case for AMD, Samsung and other major players in the sector. It has to be said, this type of substrate offers many advantages over the one currently in use: it’s more rigid, flatter and enables better temperature management.
The reason we’re talking about it again today is that a Korean media report indicates that AMD plans to use this material for its CPUs between 2025 and 2026.
Glass, the best substrate for processors?
In addition to the advantages mentioned above (flatness, mechanical and thermal resistance), this material also enables a higher density of interconnections between the various CPU dies. This is particularly important at a time when multi-dies chips are multiplying. Indeed, with its Epyc processors, AMD offers server processors with 13 dies, compared with 22 for the Instinct MI300A.
In fact, this type of design will become increasingly common in the future. In fact, monolithic chips, as used to be the case, are becoming increasingly expensive to manufacture, while yields decrease as chip size increases. It is therefore simpler and cheaper to produce several small chips and link them together via an interconnection system.
Now, when AMD is supposed to use this substrate is a matter of debate. Tom’s Hardware suggests that this type of substrate is more likely to reach the Reds in 2026. In 2025, future Epyc processors using SP5 packaging are already expected. The same applies to server APUs: everything seems to have been planned. However, in 2026, with Zen 6 and CDNA 5, nothing is decided yet.
And let’s not forget that the technology is benefiting from massive investment. Markets are forecasting an explosion in investment, from $23 million in 2024 to $4.2 billion by 2034.
