On October 21, 2026, at GTC Berlin, NVIDIA said it plans to raise substrate capacity for its products by 2.5x over the next three years. It made the plan with six supply-chain partners: Amkor Technology, IBIDEN, King Yuan Electronics (KYEC), Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL) and Unimicron Technology Corporation. The first dated step is February 2027, when expanded testing in Singapore is expected to start high-volume production. The last are end-2028 targets for packaging and optical engines. Every figure below comes from NVIDIA's own release, and the multiples are targets, not capacity already in place.
What NVIDIA announced on October 21, 2026
The plan covers four parts of the supply chain: package substrates, advanced packaging, semiconductor testing and optical engines for co-packaged optics.
- Substrates: a planned 2.5x increase in substrate capacity for NVIDIA products over the next three years. The release gives no baseline volume.
- Advanced packaging (Amkor): a planned increase of more than 300% in interposer wafer capacity in South Korea by the end of 2028, alongside new South Korean manufacturing facilities.
- Testing: NVIDIA expects total semiconductor testing capacity "to double from calendar 2026 to 2027," with buildouts in the United States, Taiwan and Singapore.
- Optical engines (SPIL): a target of a 15x increase in optical-engine capacity for co-packaged optics in Taiwan by mid-2027, then a further doubling by the end of 2028.
Jensen Huang, NVIDIA's founder and chief executive, said in the release: "Demand is extraordinary. Capacity is the constraint."
Substrate partners
IBIDEN (Japan)
NVIDIA is giving IBIDEN a multibillion-dollar capacity reservation advance for its Ono Plant. The release does not state the exact amount. The expansion targets capacity of 3x current levels at that plant, and additional capacity is expected to begin ramping in the first quarter of 2028.
Samsung Electro-Mechanics (South Korea)
Samsung Electro-Mechanics joins NVIDIA's substrate supply chain with immediate capacity from its existing South Korean operations. It is also upgrading facilities and building new factories in Sejong and Busan. NVIDIA says production allocated to it is projected to be "a significant portion" of Samsung Electro-Mechanics' total annual package substrate capacity by 2028. The release gives no percentage.
Unimicron (Taiwan)
NVIDIA is supporting Unimicron's KF substrate expansion in Taiwan with a capacity reservation agreement. Added capacity is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2027, with full capacity expected by mid-2028.
Testing and packaging
KYEC is building new testing facilities and buying equipment in the United States. NVIDIA is backing this with a $1.1 billion capacity reservation advance, and high-volume production there is targeted for April 2027. That is the only advance in the release with a stated dollar amount. In Singapore, expanded testing operations are expected to begin high-volume production in February 2027. The release does not name the operator.
The Amkor figure of more than 300% measures interposer wafer capacity in South Korea. It does not measure total packaging output.
NVIDIA's stated dates, 2027 to 2028
Which named supply steps are due in 2027, and which in 2028?
- February 2027Singapore testingexpected
Expanded testing operations are expected to begin high-volume production.
Source: NVIDIA, Oct 21, 2026 - Second quarter 2027Unimicron substratesexpected
Added capacity is expected to begin at the substrate expansion in Taiwan.
Source: NVIDIA, Oct 21, 2026 - April 2027KYEC United States testingannounced
High-volume production at new testing facilities in the United States is targeted.
Source: NVIDIA, Oct 21, 2026 - Mid-2027SPIL optical enginesannounced
Target of a 15x increase in optical-engine capacity for co-packaged optics.
Source: NVIDIA, Oct 21, 2026 - First quarter 2028IBIDEN Ono Plantexpected
Additional capacity is expected to begin ramping at the plant.
Source: NVIDIA, Oct 21, 2026 - Mid-2028Unimicron full capacityexpected
The substrate expansion is expected to reach full capacity.
Source: NVIDIA, Oct 21, 2026 - End of 2028Amkor interposersannounced
Target of a greater than 300% increase in interposer wafer capacity in South Korea.
Source: NVIDIA, Oct 21, 2026 - End of 2028SPIL further doublinguncertain
An aim for another doubling of optical-engine capacity.
Source: NVIDIA, Oct 21, 2026
Each date is a plan, target or expectation stated in NVIDIA's release, not confirmed delivery.
The dated steps, in order
| Date | Step | How NVIDIA frames it |
|---|---|---|
| February 2027 | Singapore testing reaches high-volume production | Expected |
| Q2 2027 | Unimicron KF substrate capacity additions begin | Expected |
| April 2027 | KYEC US testing reaches high-volume production | Targeted |
| Mid-2027 | SPIL optical-engine capacity up 15x | Target |
| Q1 2028 | IBIDEN Ono Plant additional capacity begins ramping | Expected |
| Mid-2028 | Unimicron expansion at full capacity | Expected |
| By 2028 | NVIDIA-allocated output a "significant portion" of Samsung Electro-Mechanics substrate capacity | Projected |
| End of 2028 | Amkor interposer wafer capacity in South Korea up more than 300% | Plan |
| End of 2028 | SPIL optical-engine capacity doubles again | Aim |
The multiples measure different things and cannot be added together. The 2.5x figure is substrate capacity over three years. The 15x figure is SPIL's optical-engine output. The more-than-300% figure is Amkor's interposer wafers in one country.
How this fits NVIDIA's wider supply spending
NVIDIA's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 26, 2026 reports supply commitments rising "from $119 billion last quarter to $279 billion as of July 26, 2026." The filing says these commitments are "primarily memory and manufacturing facilities." The October 21 partner advances are a named part of that broader push to secure supply. The release does not say how much of the $279 billion they account for.
What to watch
The first checkpoints are in 2027: Singapore testing in February, Unimicron's first added capacity in the second quarter, KYEC in April and SPIL's 15x target by mid-2027. Partner announcements or filings around those dates will show whether the schedule is holding.
