Apple generally tries to keep its cards hidden, preferring a grand unveiling, replete with mega-flourishes, to a gradual trickle of information and unvarnished product launches. However, when you have a supply chain as expansive as Apple's, leaks abound nonetheless. And today, we've received a juicy tidbit regarding the tech giant's intentions for its upcoming ASIC, dubbed Baltra.
Apple intends to move the production of its upcoming AI ASIC in-house
According to a South Korean publication, Samsung Electro-Mechanics (SEMCO) - a company that specializes in core electronic components, multilayer ceramic capacitors, and chip substrates - has provided samples of its glass substrate, or T-glass, not only to Broadcom but also to Apple.
For the benefit of those who might not be aware, a substrate serves as the base on which Integrated Circuits (ICs) and other components are placed, while also playing a critical role in heat dissipation. A T-glass, on the other hand, is a special fiberglass with a high silica content that is often used as the substrate for microchips, replacing the organic-material core used in conventional flip-chip ball grid array (FC-BGA), while providing a myriad of benefits, including better thermal stability, a flatter surface for intricate wiring, and higher reliability.
So, why are these samples a big deal? Well, Broadcom obviously is the world's leading designer of AI-geared ASICs. What's more, the company is also collaborating with Apple to develop a bespoke AI server chip, which bears the internal codename Baltra.
As we noted a few weeks back, Apple's custom AI server chip is expected to leverage TSMC's 3nm N3E process, and sport various chiplets, with each of them designed for a specific function. Apple could then combine each of these chiplets into a single unit, with Broadcom aiding in how each of these processors communicates with each other when simultaneously running in Apple Intelligence servers. This siloed approach would allow Apple to keep the overall design of the AI ASIC hidden even from its partners like Broadcom.
Coming back, the fact that Apple has procured T-glass samples from SEMCO suggests that the tech giant is getting serious about the rumored silo-like approach to its Baltra ASIC. In the near-term, this direct sourcing would allow Apple to minutely assess the quality of packaging that would be applied by Broadcom to its AI ASIC. In the longer term, however, Apple is likely laying the foundation for moving the entirety of Baltra's design process in-house, which would align with the tech giant's well-established proclivity for vertical integration.
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
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