Absolics wins $75m grant to build US chip supply plant
The US Commerce Department says the cash will build a 120,000-square-foot facility in Georgia that will produce glass substrate materials for domestic semiconductor firms.
Absolics has bases in both the US and South Korea, and is 80.6% owned by SKC. It specialises in manufacturing glass substrate – a thin layer of glass on which processing and memory chips can be mounted together. The material reduces the space required for a multi-chip package, allowing more chips to be packed into a device.
These materials are in heavy demand from US chip firms. This has compelled the US Commerce Department to issue this new award, which is says will support 1,000 construction jobs and 200 manufacturing and R&D jobs in Covington, Georgia.
US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has made advanced packaging a priority and has declared her intention to develop multiple high-volume advanced packaging facilities in the US.
Jun Rok Oh, Absolics' CEO, said: “With the support of this proposed CHIPS funding, Absolics would be able to fully commercialise our pioneering glass substrate technology for use in high-performance computing and cutting-edge defense applications. This effort is an important component of establishing a robust semiconductor advanced packaging ecosystem in the State of Georgia and restoring the US’s leadership in semiconductor industry."
The funding for Absolics represents the latest handout from the US Chips and Science program. It recently announced awards including USD 8.5 billion for Intel, USD 6.6 billion for TSMC, USD 6.4 billion for Samsung and USD 6.1 billion for memory chip maker Micron Technology.
