As you know, Samsung’s foundry division has been struggling with the 3nm process due to its low yield. As a result, the Korean firm has not been able to use the Exynos 2500 chipset, built on a 3nm process, on any real product. However, that may not be the case with the next generation 2nm process. The company’s 2nm process has reportedly exceeded 40% yield, which could mean a timely mass production of the Exynos 2600 chipset. Expected to power the Galaxy S26, Samsung plans to start its mass production by November 2025.
Samsung Foundry’s 2nm process yield exceeds 40%
Samsung has used GAA fabrication technology in its 3nm and smaller chips. This technology uses nanosheets instead of fins used in its 4nm and larger processors (TSMC uses the older FinFET architecture in its 3nm chips), which allows much better performance with lower power consumption. Samsung has been developing the GAA-based 2nm Exynos 2600 chipset with the aim of improving yields.
A new report originating from Korea says Samsung’s 2nm yield has exceeded 40% based on the back-end process testing. “The 2nm yield currently under development at Samsung Foundry is much better than previously known and more positive than the 3nm process,” an industry insider told the Korean outlet Asiae.
It is worth noting that the 2nm yield was around 20-30% at the start of the year, but it has now exceeded 40%. While the yield is rapidly growing, it is still behind the industry leader TSMC, which has achieved a yield of up to 60%. Mass production usually starts once the yield rate is more stable, at around 70-80%, so it is crucial for Samsung to improve the yields even faster. As mentioned above, the South Korean tech giant is aiming for mass production of the Exynos 2600 in November 2025.
Samsung has revised its sales strategy
Samsung has recently changed its sales strategy. Instead of focusing primarily on North American companies, the company is also expanding to other countries like China, India, and Europe. This increases the number of orders and also lowers the fixed costs. In addition, Samsung currently has a unique opportunity to make financial gains as TSMC has increased its prices. Global fabless companies like Apple and AMD are reportedly reviewing Samsung’s 2nm process due to TSMC’s yearly price increases.
