What you should know
- Samsung Foundry’s yield on 4nm production was only 35% initially
- Qualcomm moved production of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 to TSMC due to low yields at Samsung Foundry
- Samsung Foundry’s yields on 4nm production has risen to 70%
- AMD is using both TSMC and Samsung Foundry simultaneously for different versions of the same chip
Full Story
Reports from earlier in 2022 revealed that Samsung Foundry’s 4nm production had a low 35% yield rate, meaning that only 35% of the produced dies met Quality Control standards and were suitable for shipping. This was in comparison to TSMC’s 70% yield on its 4nm node. Following these reports, Qualcomm decided to shift production of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 to TSMC. However, the latest report from Chosun states that Samsung Foundry’s yield on 4nm production has now reached 70%, attracting new business for the foundry.
This has resulted in new business for Samsung Foundry, including AMD’s ‘Zen 5c’ server chips, which have begun production using Samsung Foundry’s 4nm node. It is a significant shift for AMD, as the company traditionally relied on TSMC for chip production. Additionally, researchers believe that this could lead to Samsung Foundry receiving an order from AMD based on its 3nm Gate All Around (GAA) node.
Samsung Foundry’s growing yield seems to be catching the eye of other industry players, with the possibility of winning an order from a large European customer on the horizon. Samsung’s own Exynos 2400 application processor (AP) is also reportedly in production using Samsung Foundry’s 4nm node.
With increasing attention from major industry players, it is likely that Samsung Foundry will see even more success based on its high yields. This could result in Samsung’s Foundry taking orders away from TSMC, especially as TSMC’s 3nm production capacity is already strained, leading to increased prices for production.
