Convequity on X
Larger AI chip packages are pushing manufacturers toward glass substrates. We regard LPKF Laser & Electronics ($LPKFF) as one of very few suppliers that can make the tiny, closely spaced holes through the glass reliably and in volume. 1. The silicon chips and the organic (resin-based) substrate beneath them expand by different amounts as the package heats and cools. A larger package makes that mismatch harder to manage, raising the risk of warping and damaged connections. Glass expands more like silicon. 2. $NVDA is requiring its Taiwanese and Korean suppliers to deliver glass substrates by 2028. 3. China's BOE is reportedly meeting with Samsung on a glass substrate partnership. 4. Producing these holes in volume is difficult. The holes, called through-glass vias, must be made without cracking the glass and then filled with copper. Our view is that LPKF's process, a laser pulse followed by a chemical etch, is built for that hole-making step. We are watching for its customers to move from development into production.