Breaking down TSMC's glass core substrate slide On June 11, at JPCA Show 2026 in Japan, TSMC gave a roughly 40-slide presentation titled "Advanced Packaging Technology Essential to the Evolution of AI" (AIの進化に不可欠な先端パッケージング技術). One slide from the deck, titled "Glass Substrate Development for CoWoS," has since leaked online and widespread attention. Here's a closer read of that slide (see attached image). I'll skip the technical background that is already widely available. One thing to flag: the "COP" on the slide does not stand for Chip-on-Package. It means Coplanarity. ▌ Key conclusions: 1. TSMC has officially announced a partnership with Ibiden and Innolux to develop a glass core substrate. The structure is a three-layer design, a glass core sandwiched between two ABF build-up layers. This is the "oS" in CoPoS. 2. The market underestimates how important the glass core substrate is. It's a must-have capability for TSMC. In other words, within CoPoS the "oS" matters more than the "CoP", which is also why, when it was tested, it was paired with the existing CoW rather than with CoP. 3. The glass core substrate costs several times more per unit than existing ABF substrates. The glass processed by Innolux is very expensive per unit and is the single most critical material. Besides Nvidia, two US-based customers have also expressed strong interest. ▌ Industry checks tied to this slide: 1. The glass core substrate shown on the slide is cut from a full-size 250×250mm one. The ABF build-up layers mainly use Ajinomoto's GL107, mixed with ABF-GCP, and were tested at 24–28 layers, which is the mainstream ABF spec for AI chips in 2027–2028. 2. The CoW used in TSMC's experiment is a test vehicle. It is sufficient to validate the most challenging mechanical-structure issues that arise when working with composite materials. Good results mean TSMC, Ibiden, and Innolux have together broken through the critical technical bottleneck. 3. Ibiden currently handles cutting the 250×250mm glass core substrate. When the 510×515mm format is used for pre-mass-production simulation in 2H27, if Ibiden still wants to reduce production complexity to protect its ultra-high gross margins, it may hand the cutting over to Innolux, which is more familiar with the properties of glass. ▌ The leaked slide shows the validation results of pairing CoW with the "oS" in CoPoS, i.e., the glass core substrate (labeled "glass-SBT" on the slide). This addresses the "Substrate mechanical and electrical Dilemma" raised on the previous slide, and it strongly underscores how important the "oS" is within CoPoS. 1. Within CoPoS, what CoP solves is production efficiency / cutting economics, which ties to cost and price. What the oS solves is warpage and durability, which determines whether the chip can be made at all, and whether it can work. 2. CoP and oS complement each other well when integrated, but looking out over the next few years their technical roles still differ. CoP is a very-nice-to-have optimization, and going without it simply means a more expensive chip. But the oS is a must-have. Without it, even being able to make a usable chip is in doubt. 3. Comparing their roles isn't about elevating oS at the expense of CoP. It comes down to the practical question of which technical piece customers are willing to pay for. Details below. ▌ The real gold here is the power integrity (PI) improvement shown on the slide. This matters a great deal to customers, and it means that once glass core substrate production stabilizes, TSMC's profitability and competitive edge should rise in tandem. 1. How it works: the glass core substrate is thin → the vertical conduction path through TGV (through-glass vias) is short → conduction-path resistance (R) and loop inductance (L) both drop → PI improves. 2. Why it matters to customers: better PI → more stable power delivery → frees up power headroom → room to integrate more transistors, or to push clock speeds higher → more AI compute. 3. For customers, production efficiency is TSMC's basic responsibility, so they won't pay extra for it. But gains in AI compute translate directly into the customer's own competitiveness and profit, so customers are willing to pay for that. This is why Nvidia is so positive on the glass core substrate. 4. For TSMC, the glass core substrate raises yield and lowers cost while also boosting both the compute and the selling price of AI chips. It's both a cost-cutting tool and a pricing lever, a plus for profitability and competitiveness alike. 5. Substrate cost currently accounts for a low single-digit percentage of an AI chip's BOM, while losses from packaging yield run roughly 5–10× the substrate cost. So even if the glass core substrate ends up costing several times more than today's, its share of the BOM stays low, and it can cut the losses from packaging yield. The high unit price is therefore not expected to dampen customers' willingness to adopt it. ▌ In the Q&A after the presentation, an audience member asked about TGV details for the glass core substrate. TSMC declined to answer on the spot, because TGV is the key technology behind the glass core substrate, and the core know-how currently sits with TSMC and Innolux. By contrast, when another attendee asked about integrating IVR, eDTC, and LSI, TSMC answered at length. ▌ According to industry checks, if all goes well, TSMC is aiming to start mass production of the glass core substrate in 4Q28–1Q29, to match the cadence of Nvidia's AI chip iterations. As a side note: the Ibiden earnings presentation slide that many people have been circulating lists the glass core substrate timeline as CY30. My read is this: Ibiden, which has always been conservative and cautious in public, has now formally put the glass core substrate on its roadmap, which further confirms the long-term trend for this technology. That said, some other details on Ibiden's slide don't fully line up with what's known in the market. For example, its reticle timeline is off from TSMC's public claims by about a generation, and the Rubin Ultra substrate size is clearly larger than the 90×90 it marked for CY26–27. It's a reminder to always cross-check across multiple sources when forecasting the future.

【SHINJIRO ATAE 「Lil' Infinity」(AAA cover)】 カバーの2曲目はAAAの「Lil' Infinity」を歌ってみました。 僕にとって大切な曲の一つであり、大好きな曲をオンラインサロン限定で皆に届けられたらと思います。 The second song I covered was AAA's "Lil' Infinity”. It's a song that is very important to me. I’m excited to share one of my favorite songs with those who are part of my online fan club! Thanks for... ・Music Producer: Stephanie Topalian Arranger: Nobuhiro Takamoto ・Movie Photography Director: Kintaro Producer: Nyonyo(accel inc.) Production Manager: Satton(accel inc.) Production: accel inc. Director: Tatsuaki ・Hair & Makeup. Hair & Makeup: Maki Sato ・Stylist Stylist: SUGI（FINEST） Assistant Stylist: Shiori Nagayam（FINEST） Assistant: Sayaka Suzuki ・Special thanks AAA

【IlianTapeの活動に注力する一方でTresorや50 Weaponsといった名門からのリリースが話題のZENKER BROTHERSがVENTでのPLAYを目前にPre-Streaming】<7/02木>22:00-23:00 #DOMMUNE# Presents ZENKER BROTHERS●DJ:Zenker Brothers(IlianTape｜from Munich)⭕️予約無でSTUDIOへ!▶︎ ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ 2026/07/02/THU 22:00-23:00 DOMMUNE presents ZENKER BROTHERS ●DJ：Zenker Brothers（Ilian Tape｜from Munich）｜BROADJ#3563# ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ ■DOMMUNE presents ZENKER BROTHERS 兄弟のうち、最初にミュンヘンの活況を呈していたエレクトロニック・ダンスミュージック・シーンへ足を踏み入れたのは兄のダリオだった。 この二人の兄弟が創造力をひとつの流れへと結びつけ、共に活動を始めるのは時間の問題だった。2007年、彼らは長年の友人たちとともに、自身の作品を発表するためのプラットフォームとしてレーベル「Ilian Tape」を設立。そして2012年には、後に伝説的とも評されるB2Bセットをスタートさせる。 デトロイト・テクノの遺産を基盤に、テクノ、ハウス、ダブ、ラップ、そしてブレイクビーツの影響を深く吸収した兄弟は、長年にわたる作品制作とレーベル運営を通じて、自らのトレードマークとなる独自のサウンドを確立していった。焦らず、着実に土台を築き上げることで形成されたそのスタイルは、Ilian Tapeそのものの個性ともなっている。 彼らはIlian Tapeの活動に注力する一方で、Tresor や 50 Weapons といった名門レーベルからも作品をリリースしている。 2015年には、2013年にそれぞれのベッドルーム・スタジオをひとつに統合したことをきっかけに生まれた、まさに情熱の結晶ともいえるファースト・アルバム『Immersion』を発表。続いて2020年にはセカンド・アルバム『Cosmic Transmission』をリリースした。さらに2022年にはマルコによる初のソロ・アルバム『Channel Balance』、2023年にはダリオによる初のソロ・アルバム『Reflection』が発表された。2021年には、Klaus Arnold との緊密な協力のもと、マスタリングおよびミキシング・スタジオ「Tangible Air」を立ち上げる。そして同年以降、Ilian Tapeからリリースされるすべての作品は彼ら自身の手によってマスタリングされている。 しかし彼らは、自らの原点を決して忘れない。自分たちがどこから来たのか、そしてミュンヘンに古くから伝わる有名な格言―「Live and let live（生きよ、そして他者をも生かせ）」の本質的な意味を大切にしている。だからこそ彼らは、故郷ミュンヘンが育んできた音楽的遺産を新たなミレニアムへと受け継ぎながら、「Zenker流」とも呼ぶべき独自の方法でそれを更新し続けている。その音楽は唯一無二であると同時に、何よりも人と人とを結びつける力を持っているのである。そんなZenker Brothersが、DOMMUNEへ初登場!! VENTでのプレイを目前に渾身のパフォーマンスを果たす。是非スタジオへ！ ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ It was the elder one of the brothers, Dario, who first found his way into Munich’s flourishing scene of electronic dance music during the late nineties. It was only a question of time when these two artists and brothers would canalise theircreativity and start to work together. In 2007 they founded the label Ilian Tape with some long lasting friends, in order to establish a platform for their own productions, and in 2012 they started playing their notorious B2B sets. Rooted in the legacy of Detroit and Techno, House, Dub, Rap Music and Breakbeats, the two brothers managed to define their own trademark sound over the years with their own productions, and their own way of running a label by building a fundament with patience. Besides focusing on Ilian Tape they have released records on such notable labels as Tresor or 50 Weapons. In 2015 they released their first album called Immersion, which was the next natural step and heart project after they moved their two bedroom studios together in 2013. In 2020 their second album “Cosmic Transmission” was released and Marco’s first solo album “Channel Balance” came out in 2022 followed by Dario's first solo album „Reflection“ in 2023. In 2021 Dario & Marco, in close cooperation with Klaus Arnold, launched Tangible Air, a mastering & mixing studio. Since 2021 all records on Ilian Tape were mastered by them. The brothers never forget their roots, where they came from and the essential meaning of a well-known Munich proverb: “Live and let live”, so furthermore they transcend the musical legacy of their hometown into the new millennium, shaping and forming it the Zenkerian way towards something very unique and – even more important – connective. The Zenker Brothers make their first-ever appearance on DOMMUNE! On the eve of their VENT performance, they bring their signature Ilian Tape sound to Shibuya for a rare and uncompromising session. Be there—join us at the studio! ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ ●2026/07/03/FRI Zenker Brothers@VENT ●Zenker Brothers @TheLotRadio 11-21-2025 ●Zenker Brothers | Rinse FM ●Ilian Tape Show on Rinse FM #4# - Zenker Brothers - September 2023 ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ PROGRAM INFO ENTRANCE  ¥1000（超エクスクルーシヴ限定50人スタジオ観覧者を募集いたします。直接PARCO9FのSTUDIOへお越しください。またエントランスで必ず1ドリンクをご購入ください!! ●We are looking for 50 super exclusive studio viewers! Please come directly to the STUDIO on the 9th floor of PARCO. Please be sure to purchase one drink at the entrance!!） PLACE  〒150-0042 東京都渋谷区宇田川町15-1 渋谷PARCO9F「SUPER DOMMUNE」 15-1 Udagawa-Cho Shibuya-ku Tokyo 150-0042｜Shibuya PARCO9F「SUPER DOMMUNE」 SUPER DOMMUNE FLOOR GUIDE 　MAP ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ ■ ご来場者はカメラに映る可能性がごさいますので、ご了承のうえご参加ください。 ■ スタジオには、クロークやロッカーございません。手荷物は少なめでご来場のうえ、ご自身での管理をお願いします。 ■ ドリンク類はスタジオ内でお買い求めいただけます。お飲み物の持ち込みはご遠慮ください。 ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ ＜新型 コロナウイルス、インフルエンザA（H1N1）亜型、A（H3N2）亜型、B型等の感染症予防および拡散防止対策について＞ • 発熱、咳、くしゃみ、全身痛、下痢などの症状がある場合は、必ずご来場の前に医療機関にご相談いただき、指示に従って指定の医療機関にて受診してください。 • 会場にて万が一体調が悪くなった場合、我慢なさらずに速やかにお近くのスタッフにお声がけください。 • 会場には、クロークやロッカーはございません。手荷物は少なめでご来場の上、ご自身での管理をお願いいたします。 • 本イベントはDOMMUNEからの生配信を実施いたします。 DOMMUNE YouTubeチャンネル（ • 生配信では、YouTubeのスーパーチャット機能による投げ銭を募っております。何卒サポートをよろしくお願いいたします。 • 会場の関係などにより、開演時間が前後する可能性があります。予めご了承ください。

【SHINJIRO ATAE & Stephanie Topalian「Arcade」(Duncan Laurence cover)】 本日11/26 與真司郎35歳になりました！！ こうやって長い間たくさんの人に応援していただき本当に嬉しいです。 34歳は色んな新しいことに挑戦して、人生がものすごく大きく変わりました。 精神的に辛い期間も正直あったけど、たくさんの人達に支えられて、ここまでやってこれました！！ 本当に本当にありがとうございます。 これからも與真司郎らしく、色んなことに挑戦していきたいと思っています。 変わらず応援してもらえるような人間に成長していきたいと思います。これからもみんなよろしくね！！ そして、カバーの3曲目はDuncan Laurenceの「Arcade」。 この曲はTikTokなどで凄く流行った曲で、僕も自然と耳に残っていて、印象的な曲でした。 カバーソングをやることになり、 なんの曲をやるかを考えていた時に、 ふとこの曲が思い浮かびました。 女性アーティストとのデュエットはテルマとやる以来ですが、今回はまた違う雰囲気に出来ればと、 大好きなアーティストであり、僕のボーカルコーチとしても長年お世話になっているStephanie Topalianとコラボさせていただきました。 ぜひ楽しんでください！！ It is 11/26 in Japan now, I just turned 35 years old! I'm really happy to have been supported by so many people after all of these years. At the age of 34, I tried out many things and my life changed tremendously this year. To be honest, there were some mentally tough times, but I was able to make it this far with the support of so many people! I’m truly grateful for all of my fans, friends, family, and staff. Moving forward, I would like to continue to try out various things in my own way. I’m hoping to grow as a person and continue to be a positive influence on peoples lives!! The third song I decided to cover is "Arcade" by Duncan Laurence. This song was very popular on social media. I naturally started listening to it and it left a lasting impression on me. When I was thinking about what song I should cover, this song immediately came to mind. This is the first time I've done a duet with a female artist since my duet with Thelma, but I wanted to create a different vibe this time around. For this duet, I collaborated with Stephanie Topalian. She is one of my favorite artists and has been my vocal coach for many years. Please enjoy! Thanks for... ・Music Producer: Stephanie Topalian Arranger: Nobuhiro Takamoto ・Movie Photography Director: Kintaro Producer: Nyonyo(accel inc.) Production Manager: Satton(accel inc.) Production: accel inc. Director: Tatsuaki ・Hair & Makeup. Hair & Makeup: Maki Sato ・Stylist Stylist: SUGI（FINEST） Assistant Stylist: Shiori Nagayam（FINEST） Assistant: Sayaka Suzuki ・Special thanks Duncan Laurence #與真司郎# #SHINJIROATAE#

Sakana AI CEOの David Ha（@hardmaru）が、Tim Romero 氏のポッドキャスト Disrupting Japan Podcast に出演しました。 日本におけるAIの未来は、米国や中国とは少し違った形を取り得るのか。Sakana AIの内側から何が見えているのか。そうしたテーマで、長めの対談を行っています。 Davidは、Sakana AI の事業展開戦略、メガバンクとの取り組みがPoCから本番運用へと進みつつある現状、巨大なフロンティアモデル一つに依存するよりも複数のモデルを束ねるオーケストレーションのほうが長期的には合理的であるという見方、そして実務における「AI主権」とはスタック全体を自前で所有することではなく、グローバルなサプライチェーンの中で、AIを国内で開発・適応・運用していく能力を確保することだと、Davidは語りました。 対話のなかでは、当社の研究成果やプロダクトにも多く触れました。Sakana Fuguは、強化学習で訓練したオーケストレーションモデルで、複数ステップのタスクを多様なLLMに振り分けます。Namazuは、日本の知識や価値観を反映するようにポストトレーニングを施した、オープンウェイトモデルのシリーズです。東京のRSI Labは、The AI Scientistから続く取り組みとして、再帰的自己改善とAIによる科学的発見を専門に扱う研究組織です。共同創業者のLlion Jonesは、Transformerそのものを超えるアーキテクチャの探求という、より長期的な目標を追い続けています。 最後に「日本について一つだけ変えられるとしたら」と問われたDavidの答えは、「希望（hope）」でした。 「皆が集団として希望を感じていることが必要だと思います。その希望こそが、物事を動かしていく。日本に希望をもたらすのは何でしょうか。お金でしょうか。減税でしょうか。社会保障の充実でしょうか。おそらく、そのどれでもないはずです。もし魔法の杖を一本持てるとしたら、日本の人々が未来をもっと楽観的に捉えられるようにしたい。希望によって変化が起こり、その変化がさらなる希望をもたらすのではないでしょうか。」 ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻ Our CEO David Ha joined Tim Romero on Disrupting Japan Podcast for a long conversation on how the future of AI may take a different shape in Japan than in the U.S. or China, and on what that looks like from inside Sakana AI. David walks through Sakana AI’s go-to-market strategy, how Japanese megabanks have moved real AI workflows from proof-of-concept into production, why orchestration across many models is likely to win out over a single massive frontier model, and what sovereign AI actually means in practice: not owning the entire stack, but having the capability to develop, adapt, and run AI domestically as part of a global supply chain. The conversation also covers the research directions behind the company. Sakana Fugu is our orchestration model, trained with reinforcement learning to route multi-step tasks across a variety of underlying LLMs. Namazu is our line of post-trained open-weight models tuned to reflect Japanese knowledge and values. The RSI Lab in Tokyo is dedicated to recursive self-improvement and AI-driven scientific discovery, continuing the work that began with The AI Scientist. And our co-founder Llion Jones keeps pushing on a longer-horizon goal of moving beyond the Transformer architecture itself. Asked at the end what one thing he would change about Japan, David’s answer was “hope.” “To really move the needle in terms of innovation, like the era in Japan when you have companies like Sony or Panasonic come out, there are a few factors. One is that the nation needs to have a collective sense of hope. A nation needs to feel hopeful. It could be poor. Everyone can be dirt poor, but they have hope. And that hope leads to things being done. So, what creates hope in Japan? Is it more money? Is it less taxes? Or is it more benefits? Probably not. I think it’s stories and narratives. If I have a magic wand, if the population in Japan is more optimistic about the future of this country, suddenly they’re persuaded, to be more optimistic. People should be optimistic. With optimism comes change. And change leads to more optimism.” Listen to the full episode: 🎏