Samsung to begin 2nm chip-making process in 2025 for smartphones

NEW DELHI: Samsung Electronics on Wednesday said it unveiled a detailed plan for the mass production of chips with a 2 nanometer (nm) process, in a show of confidence in technological prowess and a sign to continue to double down on its foundry, or contract chip making, business.

The plan was announced at its annual Samsung Foundry Forum (SFF) in San Jose, California, where hundreds of Samsung foundry business customers and partners attended to share the latest technology trends in the industry.

Under the plan, Samsung will begin mass production of 2nm chips for mobile applications in 2025, for high-performance computing in 2026, and for automotive in 2027, reports Yonhap news agency.

Samsung's 2nm technology has shown a 12 percent rise in performance, a 25 percent increase in power efficiency, and a 5 percent decrease in area when compared to its 3nm process, the company said.

Samsung, the world's largest memory chip maker, and second-largest foundry player, also said mass production of 1.4 nm chips will begin in 2027 as planned. In June last year, the tech giant has begun mass production of 3nm semiconductors, built on Gate-All-Around (GAA) technology. A month prior to that,

Samsung showcased its 3nm chips to U.S. President Joe Biden when he visited Samsung's Pyeongtaek complex, the world's largest semiconductor facility located some 70 kms south of Seoul.

At that time, Samsung had already said its 2nm process node was in the early stages of development, with mass production planned for 2025.

The South Korean tech giant is competing against Taiwan's TSMC, the world's largest contract chip manufacturer, to bring the most advanced and efficient chips to the mass market and to win foundry customers, at a time when chips are becoming even more crucial to the functions of highly advanced and complicated technologies, including artificial intelligence.

Samsung also said it will begin mass production of foundry products for mobile and other applications at Pyeongtaek line 3 (P3) in the second half, and plans to increase production capacity in the United States, with its Taylor factory set to be completed by the year-end and be operational in the second half of next year, as scheduled.