en.Wedoany.com Reported - Samsung Electro-Mechanics has begun mass production of packaging substrates for Qualcomm's first data center artificial intelligence accelerator, expanding their partnership from mobile devices and PCs to the data center market.
According to ZDNet Korea, Samsung Electro-Mechanics has initiated mass production of Flip-Chip Ball Grid Array (FC-BGA) for Qualcomm's latest AI accelerator "AI200" at its Busan plant. The AI200, Qualcomm's first data center AI accelerator released in October last year, focuses on AI inference applications, featuring the self-developed Oryon CPU and Hexagon NPU, and integrates low-power DRAM LPDDR5. This accelerator is scheduled to launch in the second half of this year, prompting Samsung Electro-Mechanics to begin FC-BGA mass production.
It is reported that the FC-BGA supplied by Samsung Electro-Mechanics for the AI200 is part of an initial order with a relatively small volume. However, industry insiders view this collaboration as significant, as it extends the relationship from mobile devices and PCs to data center semiconductors. Previously, Samsung Electro-Mechanics had long supplied packaging substrates for Qualcomm's application processors (APs) used in IT devices. A semiconductor industry source stated: "Samsung Electro-Mechanics has a long-standing partnership with Qualcomm, and the supply of FC-BGA for AI accelerators has been smoothly achieved. Qualcomm plans to launch the AI200 this year and the AI250 chip next year, and Samsung Electro-Mechanics will leverage this to diversify its customer base."
It is also reported that LG Innotek is pursuing the supply of FC-BGA for Qualcomm's AI200. In a recent media event, LG Innotek stated: "FC-BGA for server training and inference semiconductors is planned for mass production next year." Another industry insider analyzed: "The AI200, focused on AI inference, has lower performance requirements for FC-BGA compared to HBM-based AI accelerators. As a latecomer in the FC-BGA industry, LG Innotek faces a relatively lower entry barrier."
FC-BGA is a packaging substrate that connects chips to substrates via flip-chip bump technology, offering superior electrical and thermal performance compared to traditional wire bonding, and is in high demand for high-performance semiconductors. The FC-BGA for the AI200 has an internal layer count of approximately 10 layers in its initial stage, built by stacking copper wiring circuit layers with the insulator ABF (Ajinomoto Build-up Film). Typically, ultra-high-performance data center AI accelerators require stacking over 20 layers.
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