Breaking News: Samsung Electronics Secures Qualcomm as 2nm Chip Sample Customer, Perhaps Disrupting TSMC’s Dominance
Samsung Electronics has supplied Qualcomm with samples of its next-generation 2nm request processor (AP), signaling a potential shift in the semiconductor landscape adn a challenge to TSMC’s long-held market leadership.The move comes as Qualcomm, historically reliant on TSMC for high-performance AP production, faces challenges with TSMC including yield issues and price increases related to its 3nm process.
Qualcomm has historically favored TSMC due to its stability in performance and yield. however, TSMC’s capacity to serve a diverse customer base-including Apple, MediaTek, and Intel-is facing scrutiny.
Samsung Foundry is leveraging its in-house Exynos chip production and anticipated early mass production of its 2nm GAA-based process to offer alternatives to customers, emphasizing “price competitiveness” and “supply chain diversification.” Samsung’s 2nm process is slated for mass production ahead of TSMC’s.
While some industry observers caution that instantly unseating TSMC will be arduous, re-establishing a strong relationship with a major customer like Qualcomm is seen as a meaningful win for Samsung. Qualcomm continues to collaborate with TSMC in areas beyond mobile,including laptops,XR,and automotive semiconductors,and rebuilding trust is crucial for securing substantial orders beyond testing phases.
“It is true that there was greater distrust in areas such as yield and schedule management rather then skepticism about Samsung’s technology itself,” a semiconductor industry official stated. “Once re-cooperation with Qualcomm is opened, the 2-nano competitive landscape may become much more fluid than it is indeed now.”
The potential for Qualcomm to diversify its production strategy by utilizing Samsung as a secondary manufacturer aligns with growing demand for supply chain diversification, especially in the United States and Europe, and expands options for global customers.
