Georgia Tech Packaging Research Center Collaboration with SKC Leads to $600 Million Semiconductor Manufacturing Site in Georgia
Nov 07, 2022 — Atlanta, GA
Absolics, Inc., a subsidiary of SKC Co., broke ground on a new semiconductor manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia, on November 1. The $600 million facility will produce a revolutionary glass substrate that can “significantly increase the performance and energy efficiency of chipsets.” It is expected to create more than 400 skilled jobs in Georgia.
In a previous announcement about the facility, Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera said “We’re delighted that Georgia Tech’s investment in packaging research and advanced circuitry over the last 25-30 years has contributed to Georgia’s selection as the best place for the company to manufacture their state-of-the-art semiconductor technology. We look forward to further collaboration so we can work together to lead the region in developing the best engineering talent to work in this crucially important field.”
Georgia Tech 3D Systems Packaging Research Center (PRC) Director Madhavan Swaminathan and his team worked closely with SKC on this project. According to Swaminathan, glass as a substrate material has seven useful attributes or properties, namely smoothness which enables dense connectivity between chips; tailorable thermal expansion which improves reliability; stiffness which eases manufacturability; zero moisture absorption that improves stability; low thermal conductivity which isolates hotspots; dielectric insulation that improves performance; and large area panel processing which reduces cost.
“The PRC has been pioneering glass substrate technology for many years and we have been continuing to advance this technology working closely with SKC and several other supply chain companies along with state and federal support,” said Swaminathan, who also participated in the monumental groundbreaking ceremony. “With applications emerging in artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and high-end communications, we expect glass substrates as being the next technology of the future. By creating the world’s first glass substrate factory, we see Absolics as being uniquely positioned to productize and commercialize this technology through their vast skill set, know-how, and customized manufacturable solutions. In the years ahead we look forward to continuing our close collaboration with Absolics in several areas that include research, education, and workforce development.”
