SCHOTT, a global technology group focusing on specialty glass, has reached a strategic milestone in supporting partners in the semiconductor industry. The widespread adoption of generative AI creates unprecedented demand and the need for ever-faster processing speed. Following an action plan, SCHOTT has successfully formed a specialised division to provide tailored solutions, top-tier performance, and reliable supplies for partners in the semiconductors industry that are committed to advancing Moore’s Law with new materials.
As we enter the age of generative AI, the semiconductor industry is experiencing unprecedented demand for advanced and intensive computing. Next-generation chips call for more stringent requirements for the material providers regarding performance, thermal management, and electrical isolation, as well as finding solutions to increasing energy consumption.
Glass-based breakthroughs
Glass can play a critical role in future semiconductor architecture concepts and performance from wafer to system. Recently, market leaders have been developing glass-based breakthrough innovations to advance Moore’s Law. Since very early on, SCHOTT has been in exchange with leading industry players and initiated an action plan in 2023. Now, SCHOTT has reached a strategic milestone by successfully forming a specialised division.
Dr. Christian Leirer, an industry expert with 15 years of experience in semiconductors will lead the new organisation with his deep understanding of the industries’ needs and challenges. The organisation has established dedicated processes to provide rapid sampling to meet the need for speed. The team is already working on tailor-made glass substrates for key players that will lead the way for the future.
Close exchange with industry leaders
“While we were working to establish the specialized division within the existing SCHOTT structures, the team established a close exchange with industry leaders who were searching for breakthroughs in material science,” Dr. Leirer said. “Now, as we’re moving forward in an even more focused way, we will push hard to broaden our customer base through constant exchange, counseling, and quick adoption of specs and production environments. Together, we aim to fuel the future of semiconductors with specialty glass.”
SCHOTT offers an extensive portfolio of specialty glass solutions that advance the critical infrastructure within the semiconductor value chain. For instance, leading lithography machines, some of the most complex engineering marvels ever made by humanity, rely on SCHOTT’s high-quality flexible light guides and ZERODUR glass-ceramic to achieve maximum precision. As these lithography machines are used in all global chip foundries and IDMs, nearly all computer chips today encounter specialty glass from SCHOTT.