Symposium Review: A Glimpse Into the Future of IC Substrates and Beyond

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Editor’s note: Edy Yu, Electronic Chief Intelligence Officer (ECIO), is an I-Connect007 content partner in China. This article was originally featured in the Q4 2025 HKPCA Journal. Inquiries should be directed to edy@e-cio.cn.

The Hong Kong Printed Circuit Association (HKPCA) and the Korea Printed Circuit Association (KPCA), with strong support from SEMI, presented “The Future of IC Substrates and Beyond Symposium 2025” at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore in . The event brought together elite professionals, technical experts, and corporate leaders from across the global IC substrate industry chain to explore cutting-edge trends and innovative solutions shaping the future of the sector.

The core topics of the symposium included innovations in glass substrate technology, co-design for heterogeneous integration, warpage control in large-size packaging, packaging technologies for AI and HPC applications, and emerging trends in SiC power semiconductor packaging. Together, these discussions provided a comprehensive overview of the developmental direction of the advanced packaging industry chain. Below is a brief recap of the symposium’s highlights.

Dr. Kelvin Pun, Goertek Microelectronics

Dr. Kelvin Pun, vice president of Goertek Microelectronics, delivered the first keynote, “Latest Advancement in Glass Substrate Technology for Advanced Packaging.” He emphasized that glass substrates, with their exceptional dimensional stability and smooth surface, offer outstanding performance in signal integrity and thermal management. As such, they are poised to become a key material for overcoming the limitations of traditional organic substrates.

Prof. Gu-Sung Kim, Kangnam University

Gu-Sung Kim, a professor at Kangnam University, discussed “Co-Design Considerations of Heterogeneous Integrated Package and Substrate,” emphasizing the importance of system-level co-optimization. With the growing adoption of chiplet architectures, the boundaries between packaging and system design are becoming increasingly blurred, underscoring the urgent need for new design automation tools.

Allen Cheah, AT&S

Allen Cheah of AT&S presented “Meeting AI Challenge-Large Package Solution and Warpage Management for Advance Substrates.” He provided a detailed analysis of the warpage and deformation issues that occur during the manufacturing of high-power-density circuits and packages, and showcased the latest research progress in multilayer structural optimization and stress control. He also mentioned that by 2030, global semiconductor industry revenue is expected to reach $1 trillion, and advanced integration packaging technologies such as 2.5D and 3D will play a pivotal role in meeting the performance demands of AI clusters and high-performance computing systems.

Youngseob Shin, Amkor Technology

Youngseob Shin of Amkor Technology delivered a comprehensive review on “AI/HPC Advanced Substrate Technology Overview,” noting that modified semi-additive process (mSAP) and hybrid substrate structures are expected to become mainstream.

Ben Kim, Onsemi Korea

In the afternoon session, Ben Kim from Onsemi Korea presented on “Silicon Power Semiconductors and Packaging Technology,” emphasizing the superior performance of SiC materials under high-voltage and high-temperature conditions, which make them a crucial foundation for the electric vehicle and new energy industries.

Rambo Sun, Bomin Electronics

Rambo Sun, Chief Technology Officer at Bomin Electronics, shared insights on “Development and Characteristics of Advanced Packaging Substrate.” His presentation focused on the company’s research and achievements in the IC substrate field, covering technological advancements in substrate materials and their integration with semiconductor components. Innovations in glass and organic substrates were highlighted as key to achieving higher reliability, signal integrity, and mechanical stability. Future developments in packaging substrates, he noted, will emphasize improving material properties—such as reducing the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), enhancing signal integrity and mechanical strength.

Chiwon Hwang, Samsung Electro-Mechanics

Finally, Dr. Chiwon Hwang of Samsung Electro-Mechanics concluded the session with “Substrate Technology and Trend for High-Performance Semiconductor Packages.” His presentation provided a comprehensive overview of advanced packaging technology developments and trends, covering multiple aspects including the evolution of packaging, power and thermal management, materials and design challenges, signal integrity and noise reduction, and progress in substrate technologies.

A dynamic panel discussion reached three main points of consensus:

• Cross-disciplinary collaboration among materials, design, and manufacturing will determine future competitiveness
• AI-driven design optimization and simulation will become a new engine for packaging development
• Green manufacturing and sustainable materials will become a crucial direction in the transformation of the industry value chain

This symposium not only showcased the latest scientific and technological achievements, but also established an international platform for communication and collaboration, further advancing the frontiers of electronic manufacturing and advanced packaging technologies.