Samsung has a plan to beat TSMC and win the AI ​​war. It’s surprisingly realistic

Something is slowly changing in the semiconductor industry. Lisa Su, the CEO of AMD, confirmed during the conference she gave at Imec ITF World 2024 (Belgium) at the end of May that her company will bet on large scale manufacturing of 3nm GAA chips (Gate-All-Around). At the moment Samsung is the only integrated circuit manufacturer that is producing GAA chips based on MBCFET technology (Multi-Bridge-Channel FET), so it is evident that AMD will rely on this South Korean company.

This does not mean at all that the company led by Lisa Su is going to stop being a TSMC customer. In all likelihood in the future it will work simultaneously with both Samsung and TSMC with the aim of these two semiconductor manufacturers being in charge of the production of those chips in which their integration technology is more competitive. Huang Yuanguo, the director of TSMC plants, has confirmed that during 2024 its production capacity for 3nm integrated circuits will triple.

However, Samsung has a very important asset in its favor: as I mentioned in the first paragraph, it is the only semiconductor manufacturer that is already working with GAA transistors. And this technology will be crucial in the GPUs for artificial intelligence (AI) to come. In fact, it started the production of GAA chips on its first-generation 3nm node in June 2022, so right now it has an advantage over Intel and TSMC that in the medium term can be decisive when it comes to capturing market customers. of AI.

Samsung’s resurgence is increasingly tangible

Semiconductor manufacturing is a fundamental piece of Samsung’s business, and 2023 was a bad year for this company. Its revenue fell 37.5% compared to 2022, which caused it to cede its position as the largest chip supplier on the planet to Intel. However, if we stick to the memory market, this company maintains a strong leadership with an approximate share of 50%, which places it clearly ahead of both the South Korean company SK Hynix and the American company Micron.

Yesterday Samsung Foundry, the subsidiary of this company specialized in the manufacturing of semiconductors, held a conference at its offices in San José (USA) and took advantage of the occasion to announce the itinerary it will follow in the chip industry and its vision about of the AI ​​market. One of his predictions it is extraordinarily favorable: During the four years remaining until 2028, its client base in the AI ​​market will multiply by five and its income will increase nine times, taking as a reference the value they currently have.

Samsung spokespersons are convinced that this forecast will be fulfilled thanks to the integration technologies they are working on. GAA transistors play a crucial role in this strategy, which is why this company has confirmed that mass production of GAA chips in its second-generation 3nm node will start during the second half of this year. However, this is not all.

Samsung has also announced that large-scale manufacturing of 1.4nm GAA integrated circuits will begin in 2027. If it follows this schedule, there is no doubt that will be able to stand up to both TSMC and Intel. Be that as it may for us, the users, it is good news that the main semiconductor manufacturers are in the best possible condition.

rmation | Bloomberg

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