Samsung Has a Terrible Yield Rate on Its 3nm GAA Process, but With Some Help, It Can Restore Qualcomm’s Faith
TSMC is Qualcomm’s exclusive supplier for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which is mass-produced on the 4nm node. Next year holds a ton of uncertainties, especially when it comes to which partner will undertake orders for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. @OreXda on Twitter believes that Samsung is ‘likely’ expected to fulfill those orders, largely due to the problems TSMC has been experiencing with its own 3nm process. On top of that, a recent report said that TSMC’s 3nm wafer prices have crossed the $20,000 mark, so it would not be prudent of Qualcomm to rely on just one manufacturer for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 since it would be a costly venture. Samsung too is said to be having trouble with its 3nm GAA production, with a yield rate said to be a horrendous 20 percent. Fortunately, the Korean giant has sought aid from a U.S.-based firm called Silicon Frontline Technology, which is helping Samsung improve yields.
- Recently Samsung Vice President visited ASML for negotiating to research 1.4mm node at 2025. (produce 2026)
- Currently, Qualcomm is likely to manufacture its next generation Snapdragon 8 to Samsung Foundry. It seems to be continuous delay in production of 3nm of TSMC — Connor / 코너 / コナー (@OreXda) November 22, 2022 At this time, Samsung is not reported to have secured smartphone partners that aim to use its 3nm GAA chips, but Qualcomm was rumored to have reviewed samples of this cutting-edge technology, likely in the hopes of a future deal. Assuming Samsung can scale past the yield problems, its GAA process is expected to bring a ton of benefits to the table, such as reducing power consumption by up to 45 percent and improving performance by 23 percent. A second-generation 3nm GAA process may commence mass production in 2024 and will bring even more performance and power-efficiency advantages, so Samsung obviously has a roadmap where it aims to take market share away from TSMC. Naturally, it is too early to make assumptions about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, but we will have more information in the coming months. News Source: @OreXda