The US Department of Commerce selected Absolics Inc., a subsidiary of South Korean chemical materials maker SKC Ltd., to receive up to $100 million in research grants for semiconductor packaging development.
The funding, part of the $300 million National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program under the CHIPS Act, positions Absolics alongside Applied Materials Inc. and Arizona State University as key recipients. This follows a previous $75 million production subsidy awarded to the company.
Absolics is constructing what it claims will be the world’s first mass-production facility for glass substrates in Covington, Georgia. The plant aims to produce 12,000 square meters annually by late 2025, with plans for a second facility to expand capacity to 72,000 square meters.
The company’s glass substrate technology, which is one-fourth the thickness of traditional printed circuit boards, enables smaller chip packaging while boosting performance and energy efficiency.
SKC, part of SK Group, acquired Absolics for $240 million in 2021. The investment aligns with growing industry focus on advanced packaging as traditional chip scaling reaches its limits. The Commerce Department indicated the program sets aggressive technical targets for substrate development to maintain US competitiveness in semiconductor manufacturing.
