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Production capacity for substrates is no longer sufficient to meet advanced packaging needs; package size, layer count, interconnect precision, and integrated functions make each design increasingly similar to a specialized manufacturing process. This affects materials, equipment, qualification, and supply sources, particularly in artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, integrated optics, and automotive packages.
Semiconductor Engineering’s analysis finds that the expansion of AI workloads depends not only on computing capabilities, but also requires higher-density storage and packaging technologies capable of accommodating thinner NAND dies and taller structures. The article highlights hybrid bonding, die stacking, and the role of outsourced semiconductor assembly and test companies as decisive factors in turning density-increase promises into manufacturable products.