Samsung’s 2nm Yield Crisis Sparks Processor Revolution
The Rise and Fall of Samsung Foundry: A Major Processor Shakeup
In the field of smartphone manufacturing, achieving high yields is crucial in producing high-quality SoC chips. However, according to recent reports, Samsung Foundry has a long way to go, with yields for the next-generation Snapdragon processor still causing concerns.
In early 2022, PhoneArena reported that Samsung’s yield for the 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip was reportedly low, with only about 35% of generated chips passing quality control guidelines. This means that an astonishing 65% would have been deemed defective if produced. It’s even more surprising given that Qualcomm, the partner responsible for manufacturing, essentially footed the bill.
As a result, Qulacomm promptly entertained talks with TSMC, which boasts healthier yields of 70%, twice that of Samsung at the time. Consequently, Qualcomm opted for TSMC to build the renowned Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. No surprise, Qualcomm stuck to TSMC for what would become the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processors.
Next Steps – The 2nm Front
As we venture beyond the 4nm sphere, both TSMC and Samsung are poised for mass production on their futuristic 2nm node transistors. The advantages of this leap? Tiny transistors enable developers to pack more circuit pathways into a single chip (Figure 1). Although Samsung Foundry uses some of these same advancements across its 3nm family, TSMC now introduces Gate-All-Around (GAA), allowing the gate to envelope the channel from all directional sides, drastically reducing defects.
TSMC’s Dominance: Newfound Market Supremancy
TSMC maintains a significant market lead regarding yields, holding an unmatched 62.3 percent share. In stark opposition, Samsung Foundry takes a distant 11th place with an unassuring 10-25% yield rate on those same 2nm platforms. It seems only through TSMC that Sammy’s Snapdragon dreams might align.
What Does That Mean for the Future Of Processors?
Would Samsung Foundry need those 2nm yield yields to rise significantly, otherwise, they will lose some more ground. But not before the – and now Qualcom < Qualcomm to switch Qualcomm to TSMC after a while and this Snapdragon processor on Qualcomm’s new < a href="https://qualcomm.com/snap…" class="external" alt="Qualcomm’s chip design" title="snapdragon processor Qualcomm">5nm node. The latest Snapdragon in Qualcomm’s future 4000 series.</em_
The Potential For Changes In The Chip Game…
The battle is, of course, on top of the table: both Qualcomm and MediaTek want what Samsung has in store it for them: better processes.
