The low and unstable yields of Samsung’s 3nm GAA process has pretty much guaranteed that the company’s Exynos 2500 will not be used in any Galaxy S25 model next year, meaning that the launch will exclusively feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite. With little to no hope of those yields picking up, there is a possibility that Samsung has to form a partnership with other foundries if it ever wants to secure the future of its Exynos lineup.
The report does not specifically mention TSMC, but the Taiwanese foundry giant is the only other alternative left for Samsung to mass produce the Exynos through a joint partnership
The Korean giant’s chip manufacturing division is called LSI, with @Jukanlosreve spotting a report published by The Bell talking about Samsung’s apparent desire to rebound its foundry business by forming an alliance with other companies. At this point, the only other firm that mass produces wafers on the cutting-edge lithography is TSMC, but the report mentions AMD for some reason, a company that places chip orders with the Taiwanese semiconductor giant. However, assuming Samsung wishes to partner with these companies, it is not like it will hand over all Exynos orders to them.
The Korean titan is reportedly seeking a ‘multi-faceted collaboration,’ and it plans to expand to several categories beyond mobile, automotive, and communications to stabilize performance. At the end of the report, it is mentioned that when it comes to advanced manufacturing processes, TSMC is Samsung’s only bet, but there is no guarantee that TSMC will accept the offer given that it is doing completely fine on its own. In fact, the reigning king in semiconductor manufacturing will likely amend the terms that suit its goal and growth.
Just recently, TSMC achieved a major milestone by achieving a 60 percent yield in the trial production of its 2nm process, so it is safe to assume that the actual mass production phase is not too far off, and with 2nm wafers said to be higher demand than 3nm ones, there is no upside for TSMC in partnering with Samsung. Then again, what goes on behind closed doors is something we might never know at this time, but we will be sure to update our readers in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.
News Source: The Bell
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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