Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced that it will provide turnkey semiconductor solutions using the 2-nanometer (nm) foundry process and the advanced 2.5D packaging technology Interposer-Cube S (I-Cube S) to Preferred Networks, a leading Japanese AI company.

By leveraging Samsung's leading-edge foundry and advanced packaging products, Preferred Networks aims to develop powerful AI accelerators that meet the ever-growing demand for computing power driven by generative AI.

Smartphone chipset industry watchdogs believe that the Samsung 3 nm GAA process did not meet customer expectations, due to alleged yield issues. TSMC is seemingly victorious in this segment, as reports suggest that a next-generation 3 nm node production goal of "100,000 monthly wafers by the end of 2024" has been set. Three days ago, Samsung Foundry revealed that it is working on a very advanced SF2 GAAFET process—press outlets in South Korea propose that the manufacturing giant is hoping to outmuscle its main rival in a future 2 nm node category. Tuesday's press introduction stated that a development partnership is set: "to deliver optimized next generation ARM Cortex -X CPU developed on Samsung Foundry's latest Gate-All-Around (GAA) process technology."

A Sedaily article posits that the company's cutting-edge manufacturing tech has already attracted interest from notable parties: "Samsung Electronics is taking advantage of these advantages to win orders for the 2 nm project. Samsung Electronics took its first step by winning an order to produce a 2 nm AI accelerator from Preferred Networks (PFN), Japan's largest AI company. Qualcomm, the world's largest system semiconductor design company, has entered into discussions with Samsung Electronics' System LSI Division, which designs high-performance chips, to produce 2 nm prototypes." December 2023 news reports suggested that Samsung leadership was considering a 2 nm wafer price discount—in order to stay competitive with competing foundry services. It is possible that Qualcomm is evaluating the 2 nm SF2 GAAFET process for a distant Snapdragon 8 "Gen 5" chipset, while Samsung LSI could be working on a 2 nm "Exynos 2600" SoC design.

Samsung Electronics foundry has reportedly bagged a mass production order for its cutting edge 2 nm EUV foundry node from Japanese AI chip startup PFN (Preferred Networks). This is reportedly the first major third party order for the 2 nm node. Founded in 2014, PFN specializes in AI and IoT chips, and spun off from Preferred Infrastructure. Samsung's 2 nm node, called the SF2, is on track for delivery of mass produced chips in 2025, which means much of 2024 will be spent on testing, validation, and risk production, with the node expected to go live toward the end of the year. Samsung SF2 is being designed to offer 25% higher power efficiency (at iso-clocks), and 12% increase in performance, over SF3 (3 nm EUV FinFET). In the semiconductor fabrication market, Samsung SF2 competes against TSMC N2 and Intel 20A.