Samsung 2nm Yield Hits 60%, Nears TSMC

 According to reports, Samsung Electronics has raised the yield rate of its 2nm semiconductor foundry process to over 60%, up from around 20% in the second half of 2025. Higher yields help reduce manufacturing costs and open up opportunities for new orders.

Samsung’s foundry business is producing 2nm chips for clients including its internal Samsung System LSI division, as well as Chinese companies Canaan Inc. and MicroBT. The yield rates for chips produced for Canaan and MicroBT have also improved, meaning that within just two quarters, yields have increased by more than 200%. By comparison, the 2nm process yield at the world’s largest contract chipmaker, TSMC, ranges between 60% and 70%, indicating that Samsung is closing the gap.

The average yield for the smartphone processor Exynos 2600, manufactured under contract for the System LSI division, remains below 50%, but reports indicate both performance and yield have improved significantly compared to previous stages.

In semiconductor manufacturing, yield refers to the ratio of functional chips to the total number produced. For example, if 100 chips are fabricated on a single wafer, a 60% yield means 60 functional chips. Because the 2nm process is extremely complex, improving the yield of this advanced node is widely recognized as a major technical challenge.

Samsung’s foundry division has made substantial efforts to increase the yield of its 2nm process because higher yields directly enhance business performance. Producing more functional chips per wafer lowers manufacturing costs and can attract additional customers.

Industry experts note that advanced chips below the 5nm node are increasingly used in IT devices. They add that if Samsung’s 2nm yield improvements are widely reported, more potential clients are likely to seek foundry services. Last year, Samsung leveraged its 2nm process to manufacture the AI6 autonomous driving chip for Tesla, signing a foundry contract reportedly worth $16.5 billion.