Regardless of being the primary to undertake the gate-all-around (GAA) know-how, Samsung has struggled with commercialization and yield points and its foundry market share has dropped beneath 10%. Han Jin-Man, not too long ago named president of Samsung’s foundry operations, goals to vary that with a serious strategic shift within the execution and manufacturing of 2-nm manufacturing node.
Beforehand, Han oversaw the DRAM, flash reminiscence design, and SSD improvement groups at Samsung. The Korean chipmaker has additionally named course of improvement specialist Nam Seok-Woo because the chief know-how officer (CTO) of the foundry division. It’s a serious reshuffle on the world’s second-largest chip contract producer, at the moment making an attempt to shut the hole with market chief TSMC, which has a market share of almost 65%.
Determine 1 Like Intel, there’s now an trade chat a couple of potential spinoff of Samsung’s foundry enterprise. Supply: Samsung
The change of guard at Samsung’s foundry enterprise comes because it transitions to the next-generation foundry course of: the two nm chip manufacturing course of. The shift to the 2-nm course of node entails a big overhaul of transistor buildings, which inevitably results in larger improvement prices and better design complexity.
Whereas Samsung’s foundry enterprise has by no means been ready to problem TSMC, it surprised the market by surpassing TSMC in launching the GAA know-how to interchange the FinFET manufacturing approach. Whereas this considerably raised Samsung’s foundry profile, commercializing this extremely advanced know-how proved a tricky nut to crack.
The GAA setback
In 2022, Samsung made waves by incorporating GAA transistors at its 3-nm course of node; in the meantime, TSMC determined to implement GAA know-how at its upcoming 2-nm course of node. On reflection, that appears to be the suitable name as a result of Samsung confronted difficulties attaining excessive yields because of GAA’s technical complexity.
In GAA know-how, transistors use vertically positioned horizontal nanosheets, enabling the gate to cowl the channel on all 4 sides. That reduces present leakage and improves drive present, leading to chips with enhanced efficiency and higher vitality effectivity.
Determine 2 Whereas a gate covers three sides within the FinFET construction, in GAA, a gate surrounds your entire 4 sides of a cylindrical channel, which is a passage for present flows. Supply: Samsung
Now, Samsung is decided to get well from the setbacks it skilled on the 3-nm course of node. It begins with enhancing yield and higher dealing with GAA’s technical complexity. “We’ll deal with dramatically enhancing the yield of the 2-nm manufacturing course of,” mentioned Han Jin-Man, Samsung’s new foundry chief.
It’s necessary to notice that TSMC is anticipated to attain over 60% yield in trial manufacturing and enter mass manufacturing for 2nm chips forward of Samsung. Then again, Samsung’s 2-nm yield has been reported within the 20% to 30% space.
Furthermore, in line with trade sources, TSMC plans to begin trial manufacturing of its 2-nm course of node in April 2025 and mass manufacturing within the second half of 2025. Then again, Samsung is anticipated to begin check manufacturing within the first half of 2025 and mass manufacturing within the fourth quarter of 2025.
Excessive time at Samsung
Samsung, already underneath immense strain after ceding management of high-bandwidth reminiscence (HBM) merchandise to SK hynix, is now in a renewed highlight for its points relating to the semiconductor contract manufacturing enterprise. Intel’s troubles on this space have led to the ouster of its CEO and an unsure future.
The second-best stature doesn’t typically spark envy within the semiconductor trade, and Samsung isn’t recognized to be shy about combating again. Its quest for relevance within the 2-nm area has already been rewarded with a producing order from Japanese AI chip startup Most popular Networks (PFN), whose traders embody Toyota, NTT, and FANUC.
In addition to manufacturing 2-nm chips, Samsung may even present its 2.5D packaging know-how—I-Dice S—to allow PFN to combine a number of chips right into a single package deal. That marks a big breakthrough, and if Samsung can safe one main buyer of TSMC, it’ll create a big impression within the contract foundry enterprise.
Nonetheless, catching up with TSMC stays a frightening problem.
Associated Content material
- Samsung Readies Gate-All-Round Ramp
- What GAA and HBM restrictions imply for South Korea
- Samsung unveils plans for 2-nm and 1.4-nm course of nodes
- All you must find out about GAA chip manufacturing course of
- Gate-All-Round (GAA): The Final Resolution to Scale back Leakage
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The submit The two-nm course of node and Samsung’s foundry crossroads appeared first on EDN.
