Russian GS Group plans to produce substrates for processors in Kaliningrad

Russian GS Group plans to start production of substrates for processors in the Kaliningrad region. Experts believe that the production of 2-3 thousand substrates will require investments in the amount of $100 million, and in order for the project to pay off, it is necessary to meet the demand of the largest customers for electronic equipment with Russian processors.

Sources of Kommersant in the market said that the Russian manufacturer of set-top boxes, smartphones and computer equipment GS Group plans to start producing substrates for processors by the end of 2024. The company confirmed these plans, but did not disclose the details: “The state’s co-investment in capital expenditures and changes in the 719th decree of the Russian government (regulates the scoring system for determining the domesticity of products, including a wide range of electronics) can help in this direction.— “b”) in terms of requirements for integrated circuits of the second level.

GS Group’s interest in the production of processor elements arose two years ago. So, in 2021, RBC wrote, the Russian developer Baikal and GS Group began an experiment on packaging (assembling) Russian processors at the Kaliningrad factory.

Substrates are one of the key components of the processor, Andrey Evdokimov, CEO of Baikal Electronics, notes: “The production of substrates for modern processors is very technological, it requires special equipment, materials and highly qualified personnel.” Mr. Evdokimov believes that it is too early to talk about the timing of the start of production, but the developers are interested in the appearance of a Russian supplier.

Substrates for processors are made from silicon wafers, a Kommersant interlocutor among manufacturers of electronic components explains: “Chips require 200-300 mm wafers, which are not produced in the Russian Federation. There are several smaller wafer manufactures in the country with smaller diameters, but these products are not designed for processors.” According to a Kommersant source, equipment for the production of such substrates is manufactured in China or Japan, but “there were problems with its acquisition against the backdrop of sanctions.” The interlocutor of Kommersant believes that to create a medium-scale enterprise for the production of substrates (2-3 thousand per year), investments of $ 100 million (9.6 billion rubles at the rate of August 17) will be required. According to F + Tech, GS Group is going to start cutting silicon blanks into wafers, from which substrates for processors are later made: “There is a silicon production in Russia, but there are no specialized enterprises that make wafers from it, so companies have to send blanks to foreign factories “. When production starts, Russian companies will become more independent of foreign factories, the group notes, naming Angstrem-T and Mikron among possible customers.

Substrates, as well as packaging in general, are really needed by Russian processor developers, but provided that they manage to restore the entire cycle, including access to semiconductor factories, and most importantly, massive demand from the largest customers, emphasizes Ivan Pokrovsky, Executive Director of the Association of Electronics Developers and Manufacturers . In his opinion, if the latter condition is met, “technological problems in the production chain will be resolved.” This, Mr. Pokrovsky adds, is facilitated by the resumption of through projects by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (see Kommersant dated February 4, 2022).

Timofey Kornev