Samsung Electronics has shipped the world's first 3-nanometer foundry product applied with next-generation 'Gate All Around' (GAA)transistor technology. On the 25th, Samsung Electronics held a ceremony for their3nm foundry product shipment at the V1 line at Hwaseong Campus, Gyeonggi-do. Samsung Electronics is the first company to mass-produce 3nm semiconductor products. The customer is known to be anApplication Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) company in China. It mass-produced semiconductor chips for high-performance computing (HPC).
Kye-Hyun Kyung, CEO of Samsung Electronics’ DS Division said, “Samsung Electronics has made history in the foundry business with this mass production," further adding that, "Our successful early development of GAA technology, which will be a new alternative when FinFET transistors reach their technological limit, is the innovative result of creating something from nothing." Samsung Electronics has successfully shifted from 'FinFET' to the next-generation transistor structure for the first time in 10 years with this mass production.
Samsung Electronics' Foundry Division will apply 3nmGAA processes to various products such as mobile system-on-chip (SoC) following products for HPC. Existing customers, Samsung Electronics' System LSI Division and Qualcomm, are expected to embrace global application processor (AP) manufacturers in the 3nm ecosystem. In response to the growing demand for cutting-edge processes, a 3nm GAA foundry process line will be additionally built on the Pyeongtaek campus after the Hwaseong campus.
Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Chang-yang Lee said, “I ask that Samsung Electronics, the system semiconductor industry, and the materials, parts, and equipment (MPE) industry join forced to stay ahead in the fierce competition for micro-processing," furthermore, “The government will spare no effort in supporting private investment, nurturing human resources, developing technology, and building an ecosystem for MPEs based on the ‘Strategy to become a Semiconductor Superpower" announced last week."
Around 100 people attended the shipping ceremony, including the Ministry of Industry, Samsung Electronics executives and employees, partners and fabless. In a technology development progress report, Vice President Ki-tae Jeong of Samsung Electronics' Foundry Business Division emphasized that they overcame technology development limits by collaborating beyond business divisions such as the foundry division, semiconductor research institutes, and global manufacturing & infrastructure. Samsung Electronics' foundry division expressed its ambition to strengthen its business competitiveness through mass production of the 3nm GAA process and preemptive foundry technology, along with the confidence that 'it will move forward with innovative technology to become the best in the world'.
Hyun-duk Lee, CEO of Wonik IPS, said, “We are preparing to mass produce the 3nm GAA foundry process together with Samsung Electronics, and the capabilities of Wonik IPS' employees have been further strengthened," adding, "We will do our best with Samsung Electronics to further develop the domestic semiconductor equipment industry." Jang-gyu Lee, CEO of Telechips, said, “With Samsung Electronics’ ultra-fine process, Telechips has high expectations for future product design," furthermore, “Samsung Electronics is actively providing ultra-fine foundry processes to domestic fabless and providing various support measures so that fabless can expand the scope of product design."
Reporter Dong-joon Kwondjkwon@etnews.com