Intel's EMIB Packaging Goes Global at Amkor's Korean Fab

For the first time in history, Intel is letting someone else build its most prized advanced-packaging technology: EMIB (Embedded Multi-Die Interconnect Bridge) is now being transferred to Amkor Technology’s K5 fab in Songdo, South Korea for volume production.

This is huge. EMIB has been Intel’s secret sauce for Ponte Vecchio, Meteor Lake, Arrow Lake, and every future AI accelerator. Until today it was 100% in-house only.

Why EMIB in One Sentence

Tiny silicon bridges embedded in the substrate that connect GPU cores + HBM stacks with far higher bandwidth and lower cost than traditional massive silicon interposers (the kind NVIDIA still uses).

What Just Happened

• Intel and Amkor (partnership announced April 2025) have now completed the tech transfer.
• Amkor’s brand-new Songdo K5 fab in Incheon is officially qualified for EMIB mass production.
• First customer wafers are already in the line; volume ramp starts 2026.
• EMIB-T (with Through-Silicon-Vias) is next in line — the foundation is already laid for that too.

Why Korea & Why Now?

• Songdo K5 is one of the most advanced packaging plants on earth — built specifically for Apple, NVIDIA, and now Intel.
• Intel’s internal packaging sites (US + Malaysia) are completely full with 18A, Panther Lake, Nova Lake, and foundry orders.
• AI demand is exploding; Intel needs 3–5× more EMIB capacity in the next 24 months.

What It Means

• Intel ($INTC) → Can now sell EMIB-packaged chips to external foundry customers without capacity choke points.
• Amkor ($AMKR) → Instant leap into the absolute top tier of advanced packaging; stock likely to react strongly.
• Korea → Songdo becomes the global epicenter of next-gen AI packaging.
• NVIDIA/AMD → Still rely on expensive CoWoS/interposers; Intel just widened its cost & yield advantage.

The company that can ship the most high-performance multi-die packages at the lowest cost wins the AI era.
Intel just hit the accelerator.