Samsung to Begin Mass Production of Third Generation 4nm Chips in H1 2023

According to BusinessKorea, Samsung is set to begin mass production of its third generation 4nm chips in the first half of 2023. This new chip will address the early-stage yield issue of the stable manufacturing process and will enhance performance, power consumption, and area improvements.

Samsung's recent financial report revealed that it will commence mass production of chips using the 4nm 2.3 process technology in the first half of 2023. This marks Samsung's first disclosure of the specific mass production time for the subsequent version of the 4nm chip. The second and third-generation products demonstrate better performance, lower power consumption, and smaller area compared to the early version SF4E of the 4nm chip.

Industry insiders estimate that Samsung's 4nm process yield reaches 60%, while TSMC's yield of similar type can reach 70-80%.

Recently, there were reports in the Korean media that Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7+ Gen 1 processor will adopt TSMC's 4nm process, proving that TSMC's 4nm process is more efficient than Samsung's, resulting in Samsung losing orders. This is bad news for its foundry manufacturing business.

Currently, the most advanced semiconductor process technology is 3nm, but the main products are still 4nm and 5nm chips. According to Counterpoint Research, a market research firm, 4nm and 5nm processes accounted for 22% of sales in the third quarter of last year, surpassing 16% for 6nm and 7nm processes, and 11% for 12nm, 14nm, and 16nm processes.

Regarding 3nm, semiconductor industry analysts and experts estimate that TSMC's N3 yield may be between 60% to 70%, with a maximum of 75% to 80%. The initial results of the first batch are quite good. In comparison, Samsung's 3GAE yield varied from 10% to 20% in the early stages, with high waste rates.

This news is important as it gives insight into the latest developments in semiconductor technology and the competition between Samsung and TSMC. It is essential to be aware of the latest advancements to keep up with the rapidly evolving industry and to provide customers with the best solutions.