SEOUL – As the Artificial Intelligence (AI) era accelerates, the semiconductor packaging and substrate industry is undergoing a paradigm shift, identifying "large-area packaging" and "efficient thermal management" as the critical imperatives for maintaining technological leadership.

During the '2026 Electronic Times Tech Day' conference held at EL Tower in Seoul on June 17, industry experts emphasized that the increasing complexity of AI semiconductors necessitates a complete transformation in how chips are packaged. With AI processors becoming larger and incorporating more memory and passive components, the industry is moving beyond traditional packaging standards.

"As AI performance continues to advance, the role of a technology partner capable of delivering ultra-large, high-layer substrates has become vital," said Myeong Se-ho, Senior Vice President of Package Solution Development at LG Innotek. "The core competency today lies in our ability to respond to these growing substrate requirements."

Traditionally, semiconductor packages were kept under 100x100mm. However, recent trends show a shift toward implementations exceeding 120x120mm. Go Young-joo, Head of Research at Daeduck Electronics, noted, "With Flip Chip Ball Grid Array (FC-BGA) becoming the mainstream substrate for AI chips, we are seeing a necessary evolution in form factor design." Experts added that companies with the capability to customize their own production equipment to accommodate these larger footprints will likely dominate the future market.

The challenge of thermal management remains another formidable obstacle. AI chips consume massive amounts of power, leading to significant heat generation that can degrade performance or cause defects. Addressing this has become a top R&D priority.

"Thermal management has become a major challenge in package-system integrated design, which enables high-performance AI, high-performance computing (HPC), and advanced heterogeneous integration," said Choi Jun-young, Director at STATS ChipPAC Korea. "We are currently developing efficient heat management technologies through the advancement of new materials and specialized processes."

The conference, themed "The AI Semiconductor Era: The Rules are Changing," brought together over 200 industry leaders, researchers, and investors. Companies including Simmtech, Hana Micron, LPKF, Innometry, Lotte Energy Materials, and Intekplus participated to share strategies for adapting to the rapidly evolving AI semiconductor ecosystem.

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