[News] Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Qualcomm Reportedly Develop Organic Bridge Packaging, Eye Intel EMIB Alternative

Samsung Electro-Mechanics is expanding its push into AI advanced packaging through organic bridge technology. According to The Elec, sources say Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Qualcomm have been jointly developing organic bridge technology for 2.1D packaging for more than a year. The companies are currently evaluating the performance and reliability of flip-chip ball grid array (FC-BGA) substrates embedded with organic bridges that connect Qualcomm chips.

The report says Samsung Electro-Mechanics is also developing 2.1D package substrates incorporating organic bridges with multiple customers beyond Qualcomm. The strategy is aimed at avoiding reliance on intellectual property (IP) associated with Intel’s EMIB packaging. Several major technology companies are exploring organic bridges as a potential alternative to silicon-based solutions, the report adds.

Organic bridges serve a similar role to the silicon bridges used in Intel’s Embedded Multi-die Interconnect Bridge (EMIB), connecting multiple dies within a single package, as the report highlights. The key difference is that they are built with organic materials commonly used in printed circuit boards (PCBs) rather than silicon.

Notably, Samsung Electro-Mechanics is also seeking to enter Intel’s EMIB-T package substrate supply chain. According to ZDNet, sources say the company has been developing package substrate samples for EMIB for several years and is now actively pursuing supply opportunities as EMIB-T moves toward commercialization. Currently, EMIB-T package substrates are reportedly supplied by four companies: Japan’s Ibiden and Shinko Electric, Taiwan’s Unimicron, and Austria’s AT&S.

The development comes as Samsung Electro-Mechanics steps up its broader push into 2.1D packaging for AI chips. At KPCA Show 2026 in September, the company showcased 2.1D package substrate technology designed to connect semiconductor chips without a silicon interposer, using fine circuitry and high-density connections to support the high-speed interconnect requirements of AI semiconductors.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics Advances Organic Bridge Development

Samsung Electro-Mechanics is manufacturing FC-BGA substrates with cavities designed to embed the organic bridges, the Elec report notes. The company is considering both in-house production and external procurement for the bridges and is already producing small quantities on its own pilot line for evaluation.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics is targeting increasingly dense interconnects for its organic bridge technology. According to the report, the bridges feature five to seven redistribution layer (RDL) circuit layers, with targeted line widths and spacing of 1.5–2 μm and via sizes of 4–5 μm. The company aims for a die-to-die connection density of 500–1,000 connections per millimeter.

The development could also expand Samsung’s advanced packaging options. Samsung Foundry is expected to evaluate the performance and reliability of Samsung Electro-Mechanics’ organic bridge-based FC-BGA substrates. The foundry is also developing advanced packaging technologies including 2.3D Cube-E, which uses a silicon bridge, and 2.3D Cube-R, which is based on an organic RDL interposer, the report adds.

Meanwhile, Qualcomm is understood to be considering organic bridges for large multi-die semiconductors used in data centers. The company filed a patent in October 2024 for an “Interconnect Bridge” technology that embeds a separately manufactured organic-material bridge into a package substrate to connect multiple dies. Qualcomm also recruited personnel in South Korea for organic bridge development in March, as the report highlights.

Read more

• [News] Samsung May Announce New Gwangju Advanced Packaging Base by End-June Amid Capacity Expansion
• [News] Intel’s Advanced Packaging, Led by EMIB-T, Set to Hit Its Stride in 2029; DRAM Manufacturing Ruled Out

(Photo credit: Samsung Electro-Mechanics)