Key Takeaways:
As AI and HPC drive unprecedented substrate complexity, manufacturers are facing a wall in performance scaling, a challenge SCHMID Group aims to address with its new panel-level packaging technology.
FREUDENSTADT, Germany – SCHMID Group (NASDAQ: SHMD) is advancing next-generation substrate manufacturing with its proprietary Any Layer ET (Embedded Trace) Process, a full panel-level platform designed to meet the escalating demands of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing hardware. The technology moves beyond conventional substrate manufacturing to enable finer, more reliable interconnects for complex chip architectures.
“The future of advanced packaging will be defined by precision, reliability, and scalable manufacturing,” Roland Rettenmeier, Chief Sales Officer of SCHMID Group, said in a statement. “As AI infrastructure demand accelerates, substrate innovation becomes one of the most strategic enablers of overall system performance.”
Unlike conventional modified semi-additive (mSAP) and semi-additive (SAP) approaches, SCHMID’s technology is a damascene process that embeds copper traces within a dielectric layer. The workflow combines Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE), Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) for seed layers, Electrochemical Deposition (ECD) for copper filling, and Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) for planarization. This method produces superior line definition and surface planarity, critical for the ultra-fine redistribution layers (RDL) in advanced packages.
The announcement positions SCHMID to capitalize on the industry’s shift toward heterogeneous integration and more complex package architectures. By providing both the process know-how and the production equipment, the company offers an integrated platform for customers to industrialize next-generation substrate manufacturing, with a particular focus on future glass core packaging.
The introduction of advanced manufacturing processes like Any Layer ET addresses the challenge of creating more complex and dense chip interconnects, but it runs parallel to another critical bottleneck: thermal management. As packaging density increases, so does thermal density. Recent research from KAIST, published in Energy Conversion and Management, highlights this challenge with a manifold microchannel cooler capable of removing over 2,000 W/cm² of heat. While SCHMID’s process enables more powerful chip designs, cooling technologies like KAIST’s will be essential to make them viable, demonstrating how progress in the semiconductor industry requires a multi-faceted approach across manufacturing and thermal engineering.
SCHMID intends to detail its strategy at the upcoming ECTC 2026 conference in Orlando, Florida. Rettenmeier is scheduled to present a talk titled, “InfinityBoard – A Panel-Level Glass-Core Packaging Platform for Ultra-Fine RDL and Vertical Interconnect Integration.” The presentation will address the role of damascene processing in enabling future semiconductor performance, providing a key forum to engage with chip manufacturers, OSATs, and equipment suppliers.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
