TSMC reportedly lags behind Samsung Foundry in 3 nm yields

A previous report stated Samsung Foundry was doing quite well with its 3 nm node with 60% yields. Mapple_Gold, an industry insider, said it went as high as 75% in one instance. On the other hand, TSMC still seems to be struggling with its 3 nm node, as per a report from South Korean news outlet KMIB.

The Taiwan-based chipmaker's yields currently stand at 55%. While it doesn't mention the N3 variant in question, it is likely N3B, the first iteration. TSMC's decision to stick with a FinFET design may have something to do with the sub-par yields.

On the other hand, Samsung's 3 nm node uses the newer GAA FET technology, which will be adopted by TSMC for its next generation of chips. Murmurs from Meeco suggest that TSMC's woes might not be over anytime soon and persist across its 2 nm node. To make matters worse, the competition will be a lot more intense at the time (2025), with Intel Foundry Services entering the fray with its 18A node.

Despite higher yields, Samsung Foundry is yet to attract customers. This could change soon, though, as AMD will reportedly use its 3 nm node for some of its upcoming AI and data centre parts. With Apple still holding on to the lion's share of 3 nm capacity, other players like Qualcomm may be forced to look at Samsung, despite their troubled past with the Snapdragon 888 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.

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