[News] PSMC Reportedly Becomes Intel’s Exclusive EMIB Silicon Capacitor Supplier; UMC May See Order Boost

Intel’s EMIB-T advanced packaging ecosystem is driving strong order momentum across its supply chain. According to Economic Daily News, Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (PSMC) has entered Intel’s EMIB-T supply chain through its 12-inch integrated passive device (IPD) platform, becoming the exclusive supplier of Intel’s key silicon capacitors. The report says PSMC’s existing capacity has been fully booked, driving capacity expansion. Meanwhile, UMC is also seeing strong order demand as it manufactures the silicon bridges for Intel’s EMIB.

Amid robust demand, PSMC plans to expand monthly silicon capacitor capacity to 5,000 8-inch wafers and 8,000–10,000 12-inch wafers in the second half of next year, while also evaluating additional fab space, as the company said during its earnings call last month, according to Economic Daily News.

As the report indicates, unlike conventional multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), silicon capacitors can be integrated directly into the package, shortening power delivery paths and improving power integrity. As AI GPUs, ASICs, and high-speed networking chips continue to demand higher power, silicon capacitor demand is expected to grow accordingly, becoming a key growth driver for PSMC’s specialty process business while supporting a higher-value product mix and improved profitability.

UMC Strengthens Its Position in Intel’s EMIB Supply Chain

Meanwhile, UMC has entered Intel’s EMIB supply chain by leveraging its mature 12-inch process to manufacture the silicon bridges in EMIB substrates. Sources say UMC currently manufactures these components at its 12-inch fabs in Taiwan and Singapore for Intel and its partners. As noted by Economic Daily News, EMIB embeds small silicon bridges in the package substrate, which may help ease CoWoS capacity constraints by reducing reliance on large interposers. Wccftech adds that EMIB-T is about 50% less expensive than TSMC’s CoWoS, while Intel expects to begin high-volume deployment in 2027 with package yields already nearing 90%.

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(Photo credit: PSMC)