Samsung Electro-Mechanics (KRX: 009150) is accelerating its entry into the next-generation glass substrate business, with plans to ship prototype samples to two or three major U.S. tech companies by the end of 2025. This move marks a key milestone in its roadmap toward mass production, currently targeted for 2027.

On May 28, 2025, CEO Jang Deok-hyun revealed during a lecture at Seoul National University that the pilot glass substrate production line at the company's Sejong plant is nearly complete. Operations are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2025. He also stated that Samsung Electro-Mechanics is strategically aligned with Samsung Electronics, which is building its own glass interposer supply chain for advanced semiconductor packaging.

“There are no strict boundaries between the roles of Samsung Electronics and Samsung Electro-Mechanics in this field,” Jang noted. “All semiconductor companies, including Samsung Electronics, are potential customers of Samsung Electro-Mechanics.”

The following day, on May 29, Samsung Electro-Mechanics hosted its first-ever Glass Substrate Technology Exchange at its Suwon site. The event brought together 20 to 30 domestic suppliers in materials, components, and equipment to assess their technical capabilities and explore collaboration opportunities. It is part of the company's broader effort to build a robust local ecosystem for glass substrate development.

Glass substrates are expected to replace traditional plastic-based substrates in high-performance semiconductor applications. Compared to plastic, glass offers superior thermal stability, reduced warping, and a smoother surface—enabling tighter wiring and better electrical performance. These advantages make glass substrates especially suitable for AI server chips, where high performance and integration density are critical.

Despite their promise, glass substrates face significant technical hurdles, such as precision drilling, copper via filling, and clean glass cutting. To accelerate development, Samsung is forming a consortium of domestic suppliers and partners to improve process capabilities and scale production.

Samsung aims to begin mass production in 2027. Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics is expected to adopt glass substrates for advanced semiconductor packaging in 2028.

CEO Jang also shared the company's long-term technology vision, highlighting AI, autonomous driving, humanoids, digital transformation, and aerospace as key megatrends. He emphasized that core technology and talent will be the engine of Samsung Electro-Mechanics' future growth, alongside its internal “Mi-RAE” initiative for developing next-generation products.