[News] Apple Reportedly Sources Glass Substrate Samples Directly, Signaling Further In-House AI Server Chip Push

Apple may be moving to bring AI server chip development further in house, as recent developments suggest. According to Wccftech, citing The Elec, sources say Samsung Electro-Mechanics has supplied semiconductor glass substrate samples to Apple. Following earlier sample shipments to custom AI chip designer Broadcom, the company is now expanding its potential customer base to include Apple.

As the report adds, Apple is collaborating with Broadcom on AI server chips, with the internally codenamed “Baltra” expected to be manufactured using TSMC’s 3nm N3E process. Broadcom, meanwhile, remains the largest potential customer for Samsung Electro-Mechanics’ glass substrate business, given its leading position in the custom AI chip market.

Notably, as indicated by The Elec, Samsung Electro-Mechanics has been supplying glass substrate samples to Apple since last year. These samples replace the organic core used in traditional flip-chip ball grid array (FC-BGA) substrates with a glass-based core.

Industry observers cited by The Elec suggest that Apple’s decision to independently evaluate Samsung Electro-Mechanics’ glass substrate samples, separate from its collaboration with Broadcom, can be interpreted in two ways. In the near term, Apple may be seeking to directly assess the characteristics of the packaging materials from an end-user perspective for potential use in Broadcom’s platform.

In the longer term, the report notes that Apple may be laying the groundwork to bring AI server chip packaging in house using glass substrates. Apple has a track record of internalizing previously outsourced components, including mobile application processors, GPU IP, and modems, the report adds.

The newly developed “Baltra” chip is expected to be first deployed in Apple’s security-focused cloud infrastructure, Private Cloud Computing (PCC). Through this, Apple aims to reduce reliance on NVIDIA’s high-cost GPUs and lower data center operating costs, according to Digital Daily. Apple has also been steadily expanding its in-house AI data center footprint, including facilities in North Carolina and Arizona. Digital Daily adds that from 2027, next-generation data centers powered by “Baltra” chips are expected to enter full-scale operation.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics Advances Glass Substrate Push

Meanwhile, amid growing interest from potential customers such as Broadcom and Apple, Samsung Electro-Mechanics has been accelerating its glass substrate development. According to The Elec, the company is currently operating a pilot line at its Sejong facility in South Korea, with mass production targeted after 2027. In November last year, it signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical Group to establish a joint venture to produce glass cores, a key material for glass substrates. The JV is expected to be set up in the second half of this year, followed by full-scale equipment investment.

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