Samsung’s Cutting-Edge 2nm Process Could Just Be The Korean Giant’s Second-Generation 3nm Node With A Changed Name

wccftech.com:

Samsung has been reported on a few occasions to be struggling with its 3nm GAA yields, and while the logical move might have been to find ways to improve that percentage, the Korean foundry is making a monumental leap towards mass producing its 2nm node. However, according to one update, the company is not actually pursuing the production of 2nm wafers but has labeled its second-generation 3nm technology with the same name. Naturally, this can cause confusion for Samsung’s clients and mislead them into thinking that they are receiving wafers on a cutting-edge manufacturing process.

Samsung’s first 2nm order supplied to a Japanese startup is also confirmed to be its second-generation 3nm shipment

One unnamed official hailing from the fabless semiconductor industry reportedly informed ZDNet that the name change is confirmed while also mentioning that the contract was recently written.

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Samsung also recently completed a 2nm order for a Japanese startup called Preferred Networks (PFN). While it was assumed that the Korean giant got a lead against TSMC in the 2nm race, the latest report states that the completed order was actually a shipment of the manufacturer’s second-generation 3nm wafers. It is unclear if PFN is aware of this name change, but if it is not, then Samsung could seriously harm its goodwill.

Qualcomm also recently requested Samsung and TSMC to provide their 2nm samples, likely for the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, but it is possible that the chipset maker would be evaluating a 3nm SoC and not a 2nm one. The industry official has also said that the name change was executed because the transistor size has been reduced through optimizations. While he says that Samsung could have opted for this change plainly due to a shift in marketing strategy, the technology’s actual result holds the true weightage.

News Source: ZDNet