Samsung Taps AI and Shared Factory Data to Reduce Chip Defects

Samsung is building a new data-sharing platform that connects its semiconductor factories with equipment, materials, and parts suppliers. The company plans to use real-time factory data to improve chip production and reduce defects. This is part of its push to lay the foundation for unmanned fabs.

Samsung’s data-sharing ecosystem supports unmanned fab vision

According to a report from ETNews, Samsung is creating an ecosystem called the Data Sharing Eco Platform (DSEP). This will allow the company to share selected process data with its partners that was earlier managed individually. The platform collects and analyzes this data in a single system and then integrates it into AI models.

Basically, Samsung is opening up some previously restricted process data due to security concerns. As a result, the company will be able to improve defect detection, stabilize yields, and increase productivity. While the firm may not share all data, this is a major shift in its approach.

Earlier, Samsung preserved key equipment data, such as error codes and processing times, inside the factory. If equipment showed signs of problems, engineers from partner companies had to visit the site to check the issue. Now, the company aims to share and analyze process data in real time through DSEP. As such, its partners will be able to quickly identify equipment status and find the reasons for issues.

As of now, more than 60 partner firms are participating in DSEP, mainly including equipment suppliers. Samsung may continue to expand this network in the coming months.

This move supports the company’s ambition to convert its fabs into 100% unmanned factories by 2030. An unmanned fab does not depend only on reducing the number of human workers. It also relies on how nicely the system collects and analyzes process data in real time.

“As DSEP shares data is utilized, the application of AI among semiconductor equipment partners is also spreading,” said an industry insider. “This is serving as a catalyst to accelerate the AX transition within the partner ecosystem.”