Samsung could produce cutting-edge chips in the U.S. two years before TSMC
There has been plenty of interest from tech firms interested in buying U.S.-made advanced chipsets, especially in light of the tariffs imposed by President Trump. Semiconductors built in the U.S. would not be subject to tariffs which are simply import taxes placed on products imported into the U.S.
Even with a head start as long as two years over TSMC’s U.S. 2nm production, Samsung Foundry must get its yield up. | Image credit-RetailNewsAsia
Globally, Samsung Foundry is well behind TSMC in global market share and part of the reason is Samsung Foundry’s poor yields on advanced process nodes which drives up the prices customers pay for the chips they purchase. Samsung’s plans originally called for it to produce 4nm chips in the U.S. at first. Despite spending heavily on the project, the Korean firm didn’t manufacture one 4nm chip in the U.S. which has many questioning whether Samsung can build 2nm chips in the U.S.
As it always seems to be when discussing Samsung Foundry, the Foundry’s yield is key. Supposedly, Samsung has achieved a 40% yield with its SF2 (2nm) production compared to 60% for TSMC. Typically a yield of 70% or higher is needed to start mass production so while Samsung hopes that it can take advantage of the two-year head start it will have producing 2nm chips in America, the story remains the same: Samsung needs to get its yield up so that it can start mass production at the 2nm node in the U.S.
