Samsung Foundry to Apply '2nm GAA' to HBM5... Set to Lead AI Semiconductor Market

Roadmap Detailed in Tandem with Broadcom and OpenAI Partnerships
‘One-Stop Turnkey’ Model for Memory, Foundry, and Packaging Bears Fruit

Samsung Electronics is taking the lead in introducing the 2nm (1nm = one-billionth of a meter) Gate-All-Around (GAA) process to the 8th generation High Bandwidth Memory (HBM5). Following recent large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing) and memory partnerships with global big tech companies such as Broadcom and OpenAI, the company has unveiled a concrete technology roadmap to further strengthen its market leadership.

Jaheum Koo, Head of Technology Development at the Foundry Business Division, said via the Samsung Electronics Newsroom on July 27, "HBM5 is expected to deliver more than a 50% improvement in operating speed compared to the previous generation, HBM4E," adding, "To meet industry demands, the base die of HBM5 will employ the 2nm process using a GAA structure, enabling a higher-density through-silicon via (TSV) implementation."

Jaheum Koo, Head of Technology Development at the Foundry Business Division, Samsung Electronics

This announcement is seen as a core technological foundation for implementing the long-term large-scale foundry and memory supply plans that Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee agreed upon with leaders of global big tech firms in San Francisco. Previously, on July 24 (local time), Samsung Electronics announced a strategic partnership with Broadcom worth about $200 billion (approximately 292 trillion won) in memory and foundry segments through 2030. The next day, President Lee met with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, to discuss cooperation in AI and semiconductors.

Koo explained, "Alongside the growth of the AI semiconductor market, demand for advanced foundry processes continues to expand. Last year, Samsung Foundry began mass production of its first-generation 2nm process in the second half, and in the latter half of this year, we are planning to begin mass production of new mobile-targeted products based on the improved yield and performance of the second-generation 2nm process."

In particular, it is being recognized that the 'one-stop turnkey' capability—which was a key reason for global big tech companies like Broadcom to choose Samsung Electronics at this summit—is paying off. Koo noted, "From the design stage, collaboration between the memory, foundry, and TSP teams allows optimization for speed, power, heat dissipation, and yield, reducing the time required to complete mass production products. By forming a dedicated task force and responding closely, the HBM4 base die achieved both performance and yield targets from the very first sample, with the entire process progressing seamlessly within just three months."

7th generation high-bandwidth memory HBM4E. Samsung Electronics

Samsung Foundry plans to expand the application of its advanced processes beyond mobile into diverse areas such as AI, High-Performance Computing (HPC), automotive, and cloud service providers (CSPs), thereby realizing the 'global AI supply chain core hub' vision declared in San Francisco.

Koo said, "Last year, we validated our process competitiveness by winning a contract for Tesla’s 2nm automotive product, and since then, we have secured orders from multiple major AI/HPC and CSP customers. Based on our robust technological competitiveness in advanced processes, Samsung Foundry will continue to steadily expand its market share moving forward."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.