Samsung today announced that it has commenced construction of new foundry line in Pyeongtaek, Korea, which will focus on EUV-based 5 nanometer (nm) and below process technology. Samsung said that this will play a pivotal role as the company aims to expand the use of state-of-the-art process technologies across a myriad of current and next generation applications, including 5G, high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI).
Earlier this year the company opened new V1 semiconductor fabrication line in Hwaseong, Korea, dedicated to 7 nanometer (nm) and below EUV chips. It started building it back in February 2018, and began test wafer production in the second half of 2019.
Samsung is scheduled to start mass production of 5nm EUV process in the Hwaseong fab in the second half of 2020. However, the new 5nm line in Pyeongtaek is expected to be in full operation only in the second half of 2021. With the new Pyeongtaek facility starting full operation in 2021, Samsung’s foundry capacity based on EUV is expected to increase significantly.
Commenting on the same, Dr. ES Jung, President and Head of Foundry Business at Samsung Electronics, said:
This new production facility will expand Samsung’s manufacturing capabilities for sub-5nm process and enable us to rapidly respond to the increasing demand for EUV-based solutions. We remain committed to addressing the needs of our customers through active investments and recruitment of talents. This will enable us to continue to break new ground while driving robust growth for Samsung’s foundry business.