Ahead of Samsung Electronics
TSMC has once again sparked technological competition by announcing the initiation of a drive to develop a 1.4-nm chip fabrication process. As a result, Samsung Electronics, which is closely trailing TSMC in the global foundry market, has no choice but to respond to the leader's move.
TSMC will reportedly convert its 3-nm process R&D team into a 1.4-nm process R&D team in June.
At the Samsung Foundry Forum 2021, Samsung Electronics announced its plan to mass-produce chips using a 2-nm process in 2025. TSMC has gone a step further by initiating the development of a 1.4-nm process ahead of Samsung.
TSMC and Samsung have been racing to develop sub-10-nm fabrication processes. In terms of market presence, TSMC is overwhelming. According to TrendForce, a Taiwanese market research firm, TSMC’s market share (based on sales) reached 52.1 percent in the third quarter of 2021, far ahead of Samsung's 18.3 percent.
However, Samsung has been in hot pursuit of TSMC. The company is aiming to mass-produce 3-nm products by using gate all-around (GAA), a next-generation transistor structure, in 2022. This technology makes transistors smaller and faster. Samsung is about to commercialize the technology ahead of TSMC.
Intel has recently joined the technology race. It announced a plan to develop a sub-2-nm process ahead of TSMC and Samsung. Intel announced that it would re-enter the foundry industry in 2021. It also vowed to mass-produce 1.8-nm products in the second half of 2024.
However, industry watchers have a skeptical view. Currently, foundry companies are struggling with ultra-micro fabrication processes. As the size of a chip becomes smaller, the circuit must be drawn more precisely. The technological barriers are getting higher and higher. Yield management is also getting more and more difficult.