For several years, Samsung Foundry has been chastised for having a poorer semiconductor chip fabrication process than TSMC. Over the last few years, Samsung has lost two major semiconductor clients to TSMC: Nvidia and Qualcomm. However, things may improve, especially now that Samsung Foundry’s 3nm and 2nm technologies are drawing clients. Qualcomm has also stated that it will continue to collaborate with Samsung Foundry despite the fact that its current flagship CPU is manufactured by TSMC.
Qualcomm will manufacture Snapdragon processors at Samsung Foundry and TSMC: Speaking to South Korean reporters at the Snapdragon Summit 2023 event, Qualcomm Senior Vice President Alex Katuzian stated that Qualcomm can predict which foundry (semiconductor chip fabrication firm) will have the finest process technology for the newest processor. He also stated that Qualcomm uses both Samsung Foundry and TSMC to manufacture its Snapdragon processors and that prospects exist for all foundry businesses.
The most essential factor in picking a foundry, according to Katuzian, is Qualcomm’s roadmap. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon also stated that given Qualcomm’s demand, the business has no alternative but to use both foundries. He also stated that Qualcomm is looking for foundries that are ahead of the competition.
Alex Katuzian stressed that Samsung Electronics is a critical partner for Qualcomm and that the two firms’ collaboration remains strong despite competition from Samsung’s in-house Exynos chips. The two companies have been collaborating for over 30 years, with a particularly strong cooperation with Samsung MX (smartphone division). The collaboration also includes Samsung Foundry.
While Qualcomm officials have declined to confirm the name of the foundry used to produce the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, it has been rumored that Qualcomm is considering using Samsung Foundry’s 3nm technology for at least part of the chips. The CTO of Samsung Foundry stated a few days ago that the company is in talks with several large chip companies about their.
The only foundries in the world that can produce semiconductors utilizing 5nm or higher process technology are Samsung Foundry and TSMC. While TSMC is superior up to 4nm process, industry experts believe that Samsung Foundry may have an advantage in 3nm or newer process technologies due to its GAA (Gate All Around) transistor design, which offers higher power efficiency than TSMC’s FinFET design for its 3nm process. Samsung Foundry is nearing completion of its second-generation 3nm process technology and has already begun development on third-generation 3nm process technology.
With so many chips to produce, TSMC cannot provide all of the major semiconductor companies such as AMD, Apple, MediaTek, Nvidia, and Qualcomm. Qualcomm may select Samsung Foundry to manufacture at least some Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processors in the second half of next year.
