Report: Samsung Foundry's '2nd Generation 2nm' Process Full Steam Ahead... First Step in Securing External Customers
Samsung Electronics has begun preparations to restore its next-generation foundry competitiveness. The company recently completed the basic design for its 2nd generation 2nm (SF2P) process and has started promotions with partners to attract customers.
It has been confirmed that the next-generation AI computing chiplet platform, which Samsung Electronics announced last year it would co-develop with ADTechnology, Arm, and Rebellions, recently adopted the SF2P process. This marks its first application beyond the internal customer, System LSI's next-generation mobile AP (Application Processor).
According to industry sources on the 27th, Samsung Electronics Foundry and Design House (DSP) companies have recently begun full-scale promotions for the SF2P process.
SF2P Process, External Customer Attraction Preparations Complete... Design Kit Also Nearing Completion
SF2P is Samsung Electronics' 2nd generation 2nm process, targeting mass production next year. Samsung Electronics explains that compared to the 1st generation 2nm (SF2) process, which is scheduled for mass production in the second half of this year, SF2P offers a 12% performance improvement, 25% reduction in power consumption, and 8% smaller area.
In the meantime, Samsung Electronics and its DSP partners have been conducting groundwork with potential customers for SF2P process orders. They are also preparing for the design and mass production of the next-generation mobile AP based on the SF2P process with their internal customer, System LSI.
Furthermore, in the second quarter of this year, they began promoting the SF2P process to external customers, based on the judgment that basic preparations for chip design, such as the Process Design Kit (PDK), have been completed.
PDK is software provided by foundry companies to their fabless customers. It includes various information such as circuit diagrams, characteristics, and simulation tools, enabling chip design based on a specific process.
The PDK for the SF2P process has currently been developed up to version 0.9. In the semiconductor industry, it is generally considered ready for distribution to external customers once version 1.0 is produced. The 1.0 version of the SF2P process PDK is expected to be developed next month.
An industry official explained, "As the underlying technologies for the SF2P process are in place, Samsung Electronics and DSP companies have recently begun taking on SF2P process orders. Most customers looking to design 2nm chips with Samsung Electronics this year will likely use the SF2P process."
AI CPU Chiplet Platform Also Adopts SF2P Process
Indeed, Samsung Electronics' SF2P process is on the path to commercialization. It has been confirmed that the 'AI CPU Chiplet Platform,' co-developed by Samsung Electronics' foundry business, DSP company ADTechnology, IP (Intellectual Property) company Arm, and domestic AI semiconductor fabless Rebellions, recently adopted the SF2P process.
The main objective of this project is to integrate a CPU chiplet designed by ADTechnology into Rebellions' AI semiconductor, 'REBEL.' The CPU chiplet will be designed based on Arm's 'Neoverse Compute Subsystems V3' and mass-produced using Samsung Electronics' 2nm process.
Chiplet is a cutting-edge packaging technology that involves manufacturing semiconductors with different functions and then connecting them together into a single chip. Its advantage is that it allows for more efficient manufacturing of complex chips.
This project was first unveiled in late September last year. At the time, the participating companies had agreed to use Samsung Electronics' 2nm process, but had not yet decided on which specific generation of the process to adopt.
However, these companies recently confirmed the adoption of the SF2P process and have begun technical development. It is understood that the project schedule was delayed somewhat from initial expectations, leading to the judgment that utilizing the SF2P process was more appropriate for the timing.
Another industry official stated, "While there are no concrete mass production cases yet, I understand that Samsung Electronics is internally confident in the yield and performance of the SF2P process. Samsung Electronics Foundry is also actively encouraging DSP companies to promote the SF2P process."