Samsung Electronics is planning to sign a ₩500 billion AI Server MLCC mega deal, joining hands with Sumitomo Chemical to develop glass substrates.

BlockBeats News, June 28th, Samsung Electronics is in the final stages of negotiations with a large American tech company for an AI server MLCC (Multilayer Ceramic Capacitor) supply contract. The contract is worth approximately 500 billion Korean won, equivalent to 10% of its components division's revenue last year, making it a mega-scale order. The industry speculates that the customer is a highly influential player in the data center market. An AI server requires between 15,000 and 25,000 MLCCs per unit, more than ten times that of a smartphone, with a unit price over three times that of mobile products, hence referred to as the "gold rice of the AI industry." Samsung Electronics currently holds over 20% of the global MLCC market share, ranking second. This contract is expected to significantly enhance its presence in the AI server MLCC market. The industry believes that this move is essentially an endorsement from a global "big buyer," which will prompt other large tech companies to follow suit in collaboration.

Regarding the glass substrate business, Samsung Electronics will officially sign a joint venture contract with Japan's Sumitomo Chemical this week. The two parties will jointly invest 500 billion Korean won to establish a glass substrate joint venture company, with Samsung Electronics holding a majority stake and investing around 300 billion Korean won. The joint venture company will be located at Sumitomo Chemical's South Korean subsidiary, TOYO Precision Chemical's Pyeongtaek plant, and is scheduled to start operation early the following year. Glass substrates, superior in heat resistance compared to traditional plastic substrates and capable of carrying more HBM and GPUs, are seen as a "game-changer" in AI semiconductor packaging. Samsung Electronics' move aims to secure a high-quality supply chain in advance for large-scale production, while Sumitomo Chemical aims to enter the next-generation packaging material market through this collaboration.