Samsung reportedly has higher 3nm yields than TSMC

Even while it was already known that TSMC had yield issues with its 3nm technology, the fact that Samsung, its main competitor in the semiconductor industry, managed to outperform it…

By Nivedita Bangari

July 17, 2023

2 min read

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Even while it was already known that TSMC had yield issues with its 3nm technology, the fact that Samsung, its main competitor in the semiconductor industry, managed to outperform it in this area is impressive. According to the most recent report, the Korean behemoth raised its own 3nm yields, giving it a little advantage over its rival. Despite this, the business has not yet fully triumphed.

According to a report on KMIB, Samsung now has a yield rate for its 3nm process of 60%, which is just marginally higher than TSMC’s yield rate of 55%, with most of it reserved for Apple. When compared to the most recent data, Samsung’s development has slowed down a touch; however, the source does not specifically state that this is because of the higher volume of wafers. Samsung’s prior yield rate for its 3nm GAA process was reportedly 70 percent.

In addition to its remarkable 3nm yields, Hi Investment & Securities also released a report claiming that Samsung has reached a 75% yield rate for its 4nm process. The advantage here belongs to TSMC, whose 4nm yields are currently above 80%. According to the study, Samclose’s ability to close the gap on the next-generation node was facilitated by a “sluggish semiconductor industry,” which gave the company plenty of time to test wafer input and adjust yields as necessary.

On paper, this might seem like a huge victory for Samsung, but TSMC still commands the lion’s share of the market.

The Taiwanese juggernaut is claimed to supply Apple with 90% of its entire supply of 3nm wafers, generating a sizable profit for the semiconductor tycoon. Since TSMC anticipates strong demand for the iPhone 15 series, its 3nm wafer output may also reach up to 100,000 monthly units by the end of 2023. As a result, those yield estimates may significantly improve by the fourth quarter of this year.

Despite having higher 3nm yields than TSMC, the report does not name any profitable clients that Samsung has attracted, thus despite its accomplishments, the Korean manufacturer still faces formidable challenges if it hopes to surpass its rival.

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