Covington glass substrate plant by Absolics: status and timeline

Covington glass substrate plant

Replace the resin boards under AI chip packages with glass, which stays flat as packages grow and carries denser, lower-loss wiring, so bigger multi-chip AI processors can be built reliably.

PilotStage 3 of 5

Plant built; samples in customer reliability testing, volume production now expected in 2027.

Updated 20 Aug 2026Checked 11 Oct0 updates this week

Milestones

Next · Pass customer reliability tests

Groundbreaking in Covington, Georgia1 Nov 2022Complete.
CHIPS Act terms: up to $75M23 May 2024Complete.
Evaluation samples to global customersApr 2026Complete.
Embedded samples enter reliability evaluationJul 2026Complete.
Pass customer reliability testsTarget 2026Current milestone.
Full-scale productionTarget 2027+36 mo~~originally 2024~~Not yet reached.

Most important updates

Upcoming

2026Pass customer reliability tests (next)
2027Full-scale production+36 mo~~originally 2024~~

Current obstacles

Reliability qualificationCustomers must see packages survive heat cycling and stress testing; Absolics has repeatedly slipped as requirements changed.
Rivals close behindSamsung Electro-Mechanics (with Sumitomo Chemical) targets production in H2 2027; LG Innotek targets 2028.

Physics limits

Glass is brittleUnlike resin, glass fractures instead of bending. Micro-cracks from drilling or cutting can spread under heat cycling, so every edge and hole must be near-flawless.

How it works

4 parts

Problem

Resin boards warp

AI packages now hold several chips and memory stacks on one board. Resin boards bend as they grow and heat up, breaking tiny joints.

Glass

A flat, stable core

Glass stays flatter and more stable under heat and stress, so finer wiring can be printed and chips stay attached across a larger area.

Vias

Holes through the glass

Holes are drilled through the glass and plated with copper to carry power and signals between the chips above and the board below.

Embedding

Parts inside the core

Capacitors embedded in the glass sit right under the chips, smoothing power and making the whole package thinner.

Spec sheet

Spec	Covington glass substrate plant
CHIPS Act award	Up to $75M^R (reported)
CHIPS-funded facility	120,000 sq ft^R (reported)
Expected capital spending (CHIPS)	$343M^R (reported)
Package height, embedded design	1.8 mm (vs 3.9 mm)^R (reported)
Process steps	About 190^R (reported)
Rights issue (Aug 2026)	₩401.1B^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Update log

4 updates

About Absolics

The team behind Covington glass substrate plant

Absolics

Glass core substrates for AI chip packages

Absolics, owned by Korea's SKC (70%) and Applied Materials (30%), has built the first dedicated factory for glass chip-package substrates, in Covington, Georgia. Glass would replace the warping resin boards under today's large AI chips.

Covington, Georgia plant built; embedded-glass samples in reliability testing in Taiwan as of July 2026.
Mass production has slipped from 2024 to 2027; SKC no longer gives a firm date.
Raising ₩401.1B (Aug 2026) for customer qualification and yield; CHIPS Act award up to $75M.

Company profile →

Headquarters: United States
Status: Subsidiaryof SKC
Valuation: SKC-owned
Works in: ComputingAdvanced packagingMaterials
Coverage: 1 program · 4 updateslatest 20 Aug 2026checked 11 Oct
Partners: US Department of Commerce (CHIPS) (opens nist.gov)
Investors: SKC (opens digitaltoday.co.kr)Applied Materials (opens digitaltoday.co.kr)

Spec

Covington glass substrate plant

CHIPS Act award

Up to $75M^R (reported)

CHIPS-funded facility

120,000 sq ft^R (reported)

Expected capital spending (CHIPS)

$343M^R (reported)

Package height, embedded design

1.8 mm (vs 3.9 mm)^R (reported)

Process steps

About 190^R (reported)

Rights issue (Aug 2026)

₩401.1B^R (reported)

Covington glass substrate plant

Milestones

Most important updates

Upcoming

Current obstacles

Physics limits

How it works

Resin boards warp

A flat, stable core

Holes through the glass

Parts inside the core

Spec sheet

Update log

Thu 20 Aug

Fri 24 Jul

Sun 14 Jun

Thu 23 May 2024

About Absolics

Current obstacles

Physics limits

How it works

Resin boards warp

A flat, stable core

Holes through the glass

Parts inside the core

Spec sheet

Update log

Thu 20 Aug

Fri 24 Jul

Sun 14 Jun

Thu 23 May 2024

About Absolics