GLS and APES Partner to Bring 3D Printed Electronics to Semiconductor Packaging

A New Approach to Chip Packaging

Great Lakes Semiconductor (GLS), a U.S.-based semiconductor developer, and Advanced Printed Electronic Solutions (APES), an additive manufactured electronics company headquartered in Fishkill, New York, have announced a strategic partnership to develop advanced semiconductor packaging and heterogeneous integration capabilities.

Combining Fabrication and Additive Manufacturing

The collaboration combines GLS's proprietary semiconductor fabrication processes with APES's additive manufactured electronics (AME) platforms. The companies aim to deliver integrated design-to-manufacturing services covering early concept design, prototyping, batch production, and scaled manufacturing of semiconductor and sensor devices.

According to Dr. Richard Thurston, CEO of GLS, the partnership integrates the company's modular ChipForge semiconductor platform with APES's packaging and electronics capabilities within a unified manufacturing workflow.

Matrix6D Platform

GLS's Fab-as-a-Service (FaaS) model will operate alongside APES's Matrix6D platform, described as a software-defined, AI-driven swarm manufacturing system. The integration will enable semiconductor and sensor devices fabricated through ChipForge to be embedded directly into rigid or flexible 3D structural substrates.

Dr. Rich Neill, CEO of APES, said the approach supports applications in autonomous vehicles, medical devices, robotics, electronic assemblies, and commercial and defense systems.

Implementation Timeline

Operations will initially be based at APES's Fishkill facility. The companies plan to transition research, development, and manufacturing activities to GLS facilities by Q3 2026. The long-term objective is to co-locate research and development, chip fabrication, and back-end package integration within a single operational footprint.

Why This Matters

Advanced packaging now carries a growing share of complexity in semiconductor design. Integrating logic, sensors, and specialized components within compact packages increases demands on interconnect density, routing precision, thermal management, and substrate design.

This partnership represents a significant step forward in using additive manufacturing for electronics, potentially revolutionizing how semiconductors are packaged and integrated into devices.