Key Takeaways
- Samsung Foundry is improving its 2 nm yields, now estimated at 40-50%, up from 30% in February.
- The Exynos 2600 is expected to power upcoming Galaxy S26 models, indicating positive growth for Samsung's chipset lineup.
- Yield improvements at Samsung may involve performance trade-offs, leading to a gap between its chips and those produced by TSMC.
- Samsung's previous advantage in 3 nm technology has diminished with the introduction of TSMC's N2 node, which uses similar Nanosheet technology.
- Future improvements may come with the next generation, SF2P, which is expected to be marketed as Samsung's 'true' 2 nm node.
Unlike TSMC, which has already gone beyond 60% yields on its 2 nm class N2 node, Samsung Foundry is still trying to reach that important target. A new report from the South Korean news source Munhwa suggests that the young chipmaker is getting close, with yields now estimated to be in the 40-50% range. This is a significant improvement from the earlier reported 30% in February. While yields alone don't mean much without knowing the chip's die size, in this case, it is expected to be around the size of a smartphone SoC, approximately 150 mm².
Positive Outlook for Exynos 2600
This development is promising for the Exynos 2600, which is expected to power the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and possibly the Galaxy S26 Ultra next year. In addition, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 for Galaxy is also rumored to be produced on the same node, but its launch is not anticipated until the second half of 2026, likely coinciding with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8.
Trade-offs in Performance
However, X leaker and semiconductor analyst Jukanlosreve points out that this yield improvement has come at a cost. Samsung apparently had to make performance compromises to produce workable chips. This indicates that SF2 will again lag behind TSMC's N2 node in raw performance. Such a situation could create a notable performance gap between the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 (TSMC N3P) and the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 designed for Galaxy.
Challenges with 2 nm Technology
To complicate things, Samsung once had an edge with its 3 nm node, which was GAAFET-based, but that advantage is gone with the 2 nm node because N2 employs Nanosheets, a technology that is quite similar. It might be that things improve with the next generation, SF2P, which Jukanlosreve claims will be marketed as their 'true' 2 nm node.
Source: Link