Samsung foudery: Difference between revisions

Samsung Foundry (Korean: 삼성전자 파운드리 사업부) is the dedicated semiconductor foundry business unit of Samsung Electronics. Established as a separate entity within the company’s Device Solutions (DS) Division in 2017, it is one of the world’s largest contract manufacturers of integrated circuits, primarily focused on logic semiconductors.

History and Separation

Prior to 2017, Samsung’s foundry operations were housed under the System LSI division, which was responsible for both designing and manufacturing chips. This integrated structure posed challenges for external customers who were often competitors of Samsung’s own design units. To address these conflicts of interest and to attract more outside business, Samsung formally split its logic chip manufacturing arm into a distinct business unit—Samsung Foundry—in May 2017.^[1]
This strategic separation aimed to position Samsung as a more neutral partner, capable of offering cutting-edge process technology to any company, regardless of their competition with Samsung’s own mobile or electronics divisions.

Manufacturing Technology

Samsung Foundry is a pioneer in the development and deployment of next-generation process nodes. Its competitive position relies heavily on its ability to transition to smaller and more efficient geometries ahead of rivals.

Gate-All-Around (GAA) Technology

Samsung was the first in the industry to announce the adoption of Gate-All-Around (GAAFET) transistor architecture for mass production.
3 nm Process: The company began mass production of its 3 nm (nanometer) class process node, known as 3GAAE (3 nm Gate-All-Around Early), in 2022.^[2] This technology represents a fundamental shift from the traditional FinFET architecture used in prior nodes. GAAFETs allow for more precise control over the current flowing through the transistor channel, leading to significant improvements in power efficiency and performance density.
2 nm Development: The development roadmap includes the SF2 (2 nm) process, which is expected to enter mass production by 2025. This move is intended to maintain performance and power leadership in the foundry space.^[3]

Key Process Nodes

Samsung Foundry currently offers a wide range of fabrication services, including:
FinFET Nodes: 14 nm, 10 nm, 8 nm, 7 nm, 5 nm, and 4 nm.
GAA Nodes: 3 nm (3GAAE/3GAE) and planned 2 nm (SF2).

Competition

Samsung Foundry operates in a highly competitive market, primarily vying with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.
TSMC currently holds the largest market share globally. The competition between Samsung and TSMC often centers on who can successfully transition to and scale production of the newest, smallest process nodes (e.g., 3 nm and 2 nm) with acceptable yield rates. Other competitors include United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), though these firms generally focus on slightly older or less bleeding-edge technology nodes.

External Links

samsungfoundry.com

See also

Semiconductor fabrication plant
List of semiconductor fabrication plants
Samsung Electronics

References

^[1]
[2]
[3]