Samsung appears to be progressing with its 4nm node as far as yields go, with the latest update for October claiming that the Korean foundry’s output has reached 70 percent. Though the company is slightly behind TSMC in this regard, it aims to match that figure as it wishes to secure more clients and seize some market share away from its Taiwanese semiconductor rival.
Samsung has the opportunity to partner with AMD for future processors, establishing solid grounds for future orders on the 3nm GAA node
In addition to mass producing its Exynos 2400 on the 4nm process, Samsung also aims to take orders from new clients, such as AMD. According to Chosun, AMD’s Zen 5c chips are said to be mass produced on the 4nm node, and assuming that Samsung can deliver as promised, there is the possibility of forming a new partnership with the Korean giant’s cutting-edge 3nm GAA technology. Kim Yang-paeng, an expert researcher at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade, said that Samsung has a golden opportunity to increase its market share here.
“If Samsung successfully wins an order for AMD’s 4-nano chips this time, it will open the door to transactions in the ‘big chip’ field for servers, where Samsung was weak. In the future, we will use cutting-edge processes such as 3-nano. This will be an opportunity to increase the influence of Samsung Foundry.”
A previous report said that Samsung’s current 3nm GAA yields stand at 50 percent, and for the company to start receiving orders on this manufacturing process, that figure needs to be increased to 70 percent. Individuals close to the industry believe that Samsung’s 3nm GAA process is close to reaching that 70 percent mark and companies such as Qualcomm may receive a healthy confidence boost when testing out samples. According to one rumor, the San Diego firm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will be mass produced on TSMC’s N3E process, but a future decision can change.
For now, TSMC only has one 3nm customer, which is Apple, and the latter reportedly invested $1 billion just for the tape-out of the newest M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max that are found in the company’s various Mac models. Looking at these costs, several clients are hesitant to switch over to the 3nm process due to increased expenditure alone, so Samsung has an opportunity to reveal the capabilities of its 3nm GAA node and impress customers to the point that it can take some orders away from TSMC.
News Source: Chosun