Samsung and AMD Explore 2nm Chip Manufacturing Partnership
Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions (DS) Division is reportedly in advanced discussions with AMD to manufacture next-generation chips using Samsung Foundry's second-generation 2nm process, known as SF2P. This move positions Samsung in direct competition with TSMC's N2 and Intel's 18A nodes, all of which leverage cutting-edge Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistor architectures for improved performance and efficiency.
Evaluating Samsung's SF2P Process for AMD's Next-Gen CPUs
According to industry sources cited by Sedaily and TrendForce, a formal agreement between Samsung and AMD could be reached as early as January next year. The collaboration is expected to begin with a multi-project wafer (MPW) program, allowing both companies to test AMD chip designs on the SF2P process. This evaluation phase will focus on assessing performance and yield metrics before any commitment to large-scale production.
The chip under consideration is believed to be AMD's upcoming EPYC "Venice" server CPU, as reported by Global Economic News. If the MPW results align with AMD's expectations, the partnership could pave the way for a dual-foundry strategy, with AMD utilizing both Samsung and TSMC for future chip manufacturing. This approach may eventually extend beyond server processors to include consumer CPUs, such as the anticipated "Olympic Ridge" Ryzen series.
Strengthening AI Collaboration and HBM Memory Supply
The report also highlights the growing AI-focused partnership between Samsung and AMD. While Samsung has faced challenges entering NVIDIA's HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) supply chain, it has established a strong relationship with AMD. Samsung currently supplies HBM3E 12-layer memory for AMD's MI350 AI accelerators and is well positioned to deliver HBM4 for AMD's next-generation MI450 products.
Samsung Foundry Gains Momentum Amid Industry Shifts
For Samsung, securing AMD as a foundry customer would further bolster its recent recovery and growth. Samsung Foundry has recently gained traction by winning orders from major clients, including Tesla and Apple. At the same time, TSMC is facing capacity constraints and increasing wafer prices, making Samsung an increasingly attractive alternative for semiconductor manufacturing.
As the semiconductor industry continues to evolve, the potential collaboration between Samsung and AMD on 2nm chip production could have significant implications for the competitive landscape, particularly in high-performance computing and AI applications.
