Samsung is actively participating in the 3nm solutions race with its proprietary Gate-All-Around (GAA) process technology, but the yield of usable products according to these technological standards has not yet reached a satisfactory level, according to a new leak from South Korea.
Samsung initially set an ambitious goal of 70% of the output of usable chips for its first and second generation 3nm GAA processes, but now this goal seems unattainable.
The first iteration, called SF3E-3GAE, is reportedly performing comparatively better, showing a result of about 50-60% usable chips, but still does not reach the level necessary to make the technology commercially attractive.
It seems that this is the key reason for Samsung’s lack of new customers willing to mark up orders for 3nm products on the GAA process, and Qualcomm’s decision to produce the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset exclusively on the 3nm N3E process from Taiwan’s TSMC very significantly confirms this.
However, the prospects for Samsung’s second-generation 3nm process, called SF3-3GAP, are even bleaker. The report says that its usable chip output figures are only 20%, less than a third of the original target.
This lack of progress in terms of mastering finer technological standards could further undermine confidence in Samsung’s 3nm manufacturing and potentially push even South Korean customers towards TSMC’s more established 3nm technology.
Apparently, work on 3nm GAA technology has become a real headache for Samsung, and according to a number of leaks, the manufacturer is actively reallocating resources and experienced development teams towards its future 2nm process technology.
According to rumors, the unnamed Exynos flagship chipset, codenamed Ulysses, is being developed with SF2P technology in mind. This chip is expected to make its debut in the upcoming Galaxy S model – it will probably be the Samsung Galaxy S27, which will be released in 2027.
It is worth noting here that TSMC is doing great in this regard – last year the company began mass production of chips using the 3nm N3 process for Apple, and this year it started production using the updated 3nm N3E process for Qualcomm, MediaTek and other large customers.