Intel and 3DGS to Invest $3.3 Billion in Glass Substrate Manufacturing Facility in India

Intel Partners with 3DGS for $3.3B Indian Substrate Facility

Intel Corp. (INTC.O) and U.S.-based glass substrate specialist 3DGS Inc. have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Odisha state government to invest approximately $3.3 billion (CNY 22.33 billion) in an advanced semiconductor substrate manufacturing facility in eastern India.

The project, announced May 29, 2026, will be developed in the Bhubaneswar-Khurda region over five to six years and is expected to create more than 1,800 direct high-skilled jobs.

What the Facility Will Produce

The manufacturing plant will focus on three key product categories:

1. Glass core substrates — Next-generation interposers using glass instead of traditional organic ABF or silicon, offering superior dimensional stability and higher wiring density
2. High-density interconnect (HDI) substrates — Advanced packaging substrates for AI accelerators, HPC processors, and mobile SoCs
3. Related semiconductor packaging technologies — Supporting the broader chip packaging ecosystem

Intel will provide technology know-how and process expertise, leveraging its research into glass substrates that dates back to its Rio Rancho, New Mexico, development line. 3DGS brings specialized glass substrate processing capability to complement Intel’s packaging technology portfolio.

Why Glass Substrates Matter

Traditional IC substrates use organic ABF (Ajinomoto Build-up Film) materials that have served the industry for decades. However, AI chip scaling is pushing these materials to their limits:

For AI processors with 100+ billion transistors requiring thousands of I/O connections, glass substrates provide the planarity and density needed for next-generation advanced packaging like Intel’s Foveros and EMIB technologies.

India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem Buildout

The investment aligns with India’s broader semiconductor mission, which has committed billions in incentives to attract chip fabrication, packaging, and supply chain investments. Recent India-bound investments include partnerships with:

• Applied Materials (equipment)
• Lam Research (etch systems)
• Tokyo Electron (deposition)
• Merck Electronics (materials)
• ASML (cooperation with Tata Electronics for lithography)

India’s Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, called the agreement a reflection of growing confidence in the country’s semiconductor sector. The Odisha facility will support both domestic consumption and export-oriented manufacturing.

Global Glass Substrate Race

Intel’s India investment adds another node to the emerging glass substrate supply chain:

• Intel Rio Rancho, USA: Development line, targeting world’s first mass production
• Intel Odisha, India: High-volume production facility (this announcement)
• Samsung/Absolics, USA: Georgia-based glass substrate fab (operational since 2024)
• China GCPA consortium: Multiple Chinese companies coordinating glass substrate R&D

The technology is critical for AI chip packaging where chip sizes continue to grow. NVIDIA’s upcoming platforms, AMD’s MI-series accelerators, and Intel’s own Gaudi AI processors all benefit from substrate improvements that reduce warpage and increase interconnect density.

Implications for PCB and Substrate Industry

Glass substrates represent both a complement and potential disruptor to traditional PCB substrate technology:

• Near-term (2026–2028): Glass substrates will be used primarily as interposers within advanced packages, sitting between the die and the organic PCB
• Medium-term (2028–2032): Glass may replace some HDI substrate layers in server-class packages
• Long-term: The technology could reshape how signals transition from chip-scale to board-scale routing

For PCB fabricators and designers, the impact is clear — the interface between these glass substrates and motherboard PCBs will require increasingly sophisticated connection technologies (fine-pitch BGA, embedded bridges, high-density routing under package areas).

At AtlasPCB, we work with customers designing boards for AI hardware that interface with advanced packaging technologies. Understanding substrate evolution helps us plan appropriate PCB stackups and routing density for next-generation server and AI platforms.

Source: IC&PCB Union, May 29, 2026. Additional context from Odisha state government announcement.

Designing PCBs for AI hardware with advanced packaging? Contact our engineering team for HDI stackup planning and fine-pitch BGA breakout design support.

Image: Vishnu Mohanan via Unsplash