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Lee Jae-yong Reviews AI Chip Battleground in Japan, Strengthens Advanced Packaging Cooperation

Chips1 min read

Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong visited a Samsung advanced packaging research center in Yokohama, Japan, to check progress on chip technology for AI. The lab is working with Japanese materials and equipment companies.

What happened

On the 1st, Samsung said Lee Jae-yong visited the Advanced Package Lab (APL) in Yokohama. It was his first on-site check since the lab opened on September 8, about two months earlier. He looked at research on materials and manufacturing steps for advanced packaging. He also talked with Japanese suppliers about working together. He asked the team to secure advanced packaging technology, which is now a key part of AI chip competitiveness.

Key numbers and facts

  • APL opened on September 8 (this year).
  • Samsung set up APL in 2023 and plans to invest 40 billion yen (about 350 billion won) from 2024 over five years.
  • The lab focuses on core technologies such as materials and processes for advanced packaging.
  • Yokohama is near Tokyo and has many related companies and research institutes.

What is advanced packaging?

Advanced packaging joins several chips, such as GPUs, high-bandwidth memory (HBM), and accelerator chips, into one package. This helps data move between chips faster, saves power, and controls heat. These things affect how well AI systems perform. APL links Samsung's chip design and manufacturing skills with Japan's strengths in materials, parts, and equipment.

Why it matters

AI needs very fast and efficient chips. Packaging is becoming as important as the chips themselves. By strengthening APL and its work with Japanese partners, Samsung hopes to build better next-generation products and compete more strongly in the AI chip market.

What to watch

  • Whether APL expands into wafer bonding and glass substrates.
  • How the lab works with Samsung's domestic packaging research team.
  • Whether the number of local researchers in Yokohama keeps growing.
  • How Samsung's new packaging structures for low-power, high-performance chips move toward mass production.

Glossary

Samsung Electronics
A South Korean company that makes memory chips, logic chips, and phones.
Advanced Package Lab (APL)
Samsung's research center in Yokohama, Japan, that develops packaging materials and processes.
Advanced packaging
A way to combine several chips into one package so they work faster and use less power.
HBM
High-bandwidth memory, a type of fast memory stacked in layers for AI chips.

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