Samsung’s wafer fab in Taylor, Texas has fully allocated its baseline 2 nm capacity before the line has started operating.
50,000 wafers a month already committed
According to a Sept. 8 report by BusinessKorea, the Taylor plant’s baseline capacity of 50,000 wafers per month has already been booked by customers. Pilot production could begin as early as the end of this month.
The report identified three customers by name: Tesla, Broadcom and the U.K.-based chip designer Arm.
Orders tied to AI and communications chips
BusinessKorea said the orders include Tesla’s next-generation AI chip AI5, Broadcom’s next-generation communications semiconductor, and Arm’s AI chip for smart devices.
Samsung has invested about $37 billion in the Taylor fab since construction began in 2022. Under the current timeline, pilot production could start in late September, while mass production is scheduled for 2027.
2 nm yield rises into the 80% range
The report said full bookings would depend on yields reaching an acceptable level. Samsung’s 2 nm yield was about 60% at the beginning of this year and has now improved into the 80% range, which the report described as sufficient for mass production.
That improvement was attributed to stabilized yields in advanced process nodes including 4 nm and 5 nm.
Second plant slated to break ground by year-end
A second Taylor plant is scheduled to break ground by the end of this year, with mass production targeted for 2030. Samsung has asked equipment partners to secure safety certifications in advance and has dispatched personnel to prepare for construction.
For chip design companies seeking 2 nm orders, a plant that has sold out its baseline capacity before mass production starts points to limited near-term allocation, leaving the schedule of the second facility as a key factor.