Samsung Semiconductor was given the go-ahead to proceed with mass production of third-generation 4nm chipsets, sources from Korea reveal. The company managed to achieve satisfactory wafer yields of the new generation of chipsets that should help lower power consumption.
The manufacturing process is expected to start by the end of 1. half year 2023, which is in three months.
Samsung Semiconductor factory in South Korea
The yield on a single wafer was extremely low at the Hwaseong factory, pushing chip companies such as Qualcomm to contract TSMC for 4nm platforms. The Taiwanese company had about 70-80% usable wafers, while Samsung barely managed to reach 60%, and since manufacturers pay for the entire wafer, it is more profitable to go for the manufacturer with less production waste.
The next leap in advanced process technology is 3nm and Apple is expected to launch its iPhone 15 Pro devices with such platforms. Business Korea cited research from Counterpoint, which reveals that the 4nm and 5nm processes are among the most used in mobile devices at 22%, followed by 6nm and 7nm chips at 16%.
The production of 4nm chips is expected to increase further in the future, as both Samsung and TSMC are building factories in the US, which will be ready for operation in 2024.
