Who makes ABF for AI data centers
constrained
The high-layer-count ABF substrates that an advanced chip package is mounted on, sitting between the interposer and the server board.
Substrates are the printed-circuit-like base that a packaged chip — die, interposer, and HBM stacks (2.5D/3D advanced packaging, Interposers, silicon bridges, RDL) — is mounted onto before it plugs into a server board. AI accelerator packages need substrates with more layers and larger surface area than prior chip generations, which pushes them toward the upper end of what existing substrate manufacturing lines can handle. Substrate makers sit downstream of the specialty materials (Substrate materials) that go into the laminate itself and upstream of the finished, shippable accelerator. The investor-relevant constraint here is capacity at the largest, highest-layer-count end of the product range rather than substrate manufacturing broadly — a supplier with general ABF substrate capacity isn't necessarily qualified for the specific large-format, high-layer-count substrates AI packages need. Supplier concentration is meaningful and geographically clustered, and qualification for a new substrate design tied to a new accelerator generation is a lengthy process run in lockstep with the chip and packaging design itself, not a commodity purchase.
AI delta: Larger, more complex AI accelerator packages need bigger, higher-layer-count substrates than prior chip generations, straining the segment of substrate capacity qualified to build them.
Industry supply-chain analyses put the ABF substrate supply-demand shortfall at roughly 10% in H2 2026, widening to about 21% in 2027 and potentially over 40% by 2028, as AI-accelerator packages outgrow the smaller, lower-layer-count capacity substrate makers built for consumer chips (Tom's Hardware, 2026-09-10).
Companies on this part (10)
| Company | Role | Ownership | Ticker | Price | 1d | Confidence | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&S | manufacturer | public | ATS.VI | 139 EUR | -2.5% | disclosed | · source |
| Daeduck | manufacturer | public | 008060.KS | 14240 KRW | +0.6% | reported | · source |
| Ibiden | manufacturer | public | 4062.T | 8512 JPY | -1.0% | disclosed | · source |
| Kinsus | manufacturer | public | 3189.TW | 986 TWD | -2.4% | inferred | |
| LG Innotek | manufacturer | public | 011070.KS | 379000 KRW | -3.6% | disclosed | · source |
| Nan Ya PCB | manufacturer | public | 8046.TW | 1265 TWD | -5.2% | disclosed | · source |
| Samsung Electro-Mechanics | manufacturer | public | 009150.KS | 1122000 KRW | -2.0% | disclosed | · source |
| Unimicron | manufacturer | public | 3037.TW | 1085 TWD | -1.4% | disclosed | · source |
| Zhen Ding | manufacturer | public | 4958.TW | 567 TWD | -2.1% | disclosed | · source |
| Shinko | manufacturer | unknown | disclosed | · source |
Who competes here
The same table read the other way: every company above competes for ABF / high-layer package substrates sockets. Confidence tags matter — an inferred placement is a lead, not a confirmed rivalry.
Seen in real machines
ABF / high-layer package substrates is named in 1 of the rack teardowns and supercomputer breakdowns on this site. Each line below is a piece of that machine. The companies shown are the ones named on that line, not necessarily the maker of this part.
- Nvidia GB300 NVL72 · rack teardown
Nearby parts
- Previous in layer: Packaging & bonding equipment
- Next in layer: Substrate materials
- Layer: Layer 1 — Compute silicon & packaging
From the blog
Latest feed
- Nvidia unveils OOI CPO prototype for post-2028 AI needs — DigiTimes, 2026-10-25
- Tesla, Nvidia reportedly invest KRW3.7 trillion to secure Samsung Electro-Mechanics ABF capacity — DigiTimes, 2026-10-23Tesla and Nvidia are reportedly investing combined funds into Samsung Electro-Mechanics to expand ABF substrate production capacity in South Korea.
- Advanced PCB drilling faces growing demand from AI and high-speed applications — DigiTimes, 2026-10-21Topoint Technology is increasing its capacity for advanced PCB drilling services to meet the growing needs of AI, HPC, and high-speed applications, showcasing support for materials like ABF substrates and quartz cloth.
- Samsung Electro-Mechanics wins KRW360.5 billion memory substrate deal as AI demand drives expansion — DigiTimes, 2026-10-21Samsung Electro-Mechanics won a large contract to supply package substrates for memory semiconductors due to rising AI demand.
- Samsung Electro-Mechanics extends long-term contracts to memory substrates, totaling KRW4.3T — DigiTimes, 2026-10-21Samsung Electro-Mechanics signed a long-term supply agreement for memory packaging substrates, expanding its existing agreements that cover MLCCs and silicon capacitors.
- Packaging-to-board integration emerges as key gap as AI reshapes electronics supply chain — DigiTimes, 2026-10-21Industry experts noted that close cooperation among packaging, substrate, PCB, and assembly manufacturers is crucial to overcome the technical hurdle of package-to-board integration driven by AI and HPC demands.
- Samsung Electro-Mechanics' US$5.1 billion expansion faces equipment supply constraints — DigiTimes, 2026-10-17Samsung Electro-Mechanics' planned expansion for AI server substrate production is reportedly facing equipment supply constraints and longer delivery times from machinery manufacturers.
- BOE's 24-layer glass substrates reach AI chip packaging trials, with mass production still ahead — DigiTimes, 2026-10-16BOE is testing its 24-layer glass substrates for AI chip packaging, although mass production is not yet expected.
- Beyond Lithography: 3D Scaling Puts New Demands on Materials — EE Times, 2026-10-14ASM International discusses the critical role of materials and process innovations required to support increasingly complex 3D semiconductor packaging and scaling.
- Taiwan IC substrate maker Xinxing halts some machinery after fatal workplace accident — DigiTimes, 2026-10-14Taiwanese substrate manufacturer Xinxing has suspended operations on certain machinery following a fatal workplace accident.
Questions about ABF / high-layer package substrates
- What are ABF / high-layer package substrates?
- The high-layer-count ABF substrates that an advanced chip package is mounted on, sitting between the interposer and the server board.
- Which companies make ABF for AI data centers?
- This catalog lists 10 companies on ABF / high-layer package substrates, 9 of them with listed equity: AT&S, Daeduck, Ibiden, Kinsus, LG Innotek, Nan Ya PCB, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Unimicron, Zhen Ding, Shinko.
- How does AI change demand for ABF / high-layer package substrates?
- Larger, more complex AI accelerator packages need bigger, higher-layer-count substrates than prior chip generations, straining the segment of substrate capacity qualified to build them.
- ABF / high-layer package substrates — is it a supply bottleneck?
- This catalog flags ABF / high-layer package substrates as "constrained". Industry supply-chain analyses put the ABF substrate supply-demand shortfall at roughly 10% in H2 2026, widening to about 21% in 2027 and potentially over 40% by 2028, as AI-accelerator packages outgrow the smaller, lower-layer-count capacity substrate makers built for consumer chips (Tom's Hardware, 2026-09-10). The bottlenecks page lists every part carrying a sourced supply constraint.
- How reliable are these ABF / high-layer package substrates supplier placements?
- The 10 placements on this part break down as 8 disclosed, 1 reported, 1 inferred. "disclosed" means the company or a filing says so; "reported" comes from trade press or a reference-design list; "inferred" is a taxonomy lead with no citation yet.
Sources: placements without a source URL come from the taxonomy seed and are tagged accordingly. How this data is built.· Markdown · JSON