Chips can be divided into two parts: R&D and foundry. For example, Apple only focuses on R&D, while foundry is handed over to companies like TSMC. Samsung has always been responsible for its own R&D and foundry. Recently, Samsung announced a roadmap for its chip manufacturing process, and said that it will begin to use 6nm process chip foundry by the end of the year, and 5nm process and 4nm process chips will be completed next year.

Samsung chip foundry plan (picture source network)
Samsung chip foundry plan (picture source network)

  The process of the chip represents the advanced level of technology. The 7nm manufacturing process is currently the most advanced process, and only a few flagship chips have adopted this process so far. The huge cost is an important reason. Samsung started using the 7nm manufacturing process in October last year and has always had a relatively leading advantage.

Samsung chip foundry plan (picture source network)
Samsung chip foundry plan (picture source network)

  The industry generally believes that the 7nm process is already close to the physical limit. In the future, the 5nm and 4nm processes will not only have huge difficulties, but will also take a long time for research and development, and the cost will be incalculable. The 6nm manufacturing process is only a refined version of the 7nm process, which has not changed much in nature, but the density has increased by about 10%.

   In the second quarter that has just passed, Samsung's flash memory business, which has always been a leader, has declined severely. But on the contrary, the chip foundry business has grown rapidly, especially in the mobile processors manufactured by the 10nm process and the 8nm process. This exposed chip foundry plan also reveals Samsung's strong ambitions for the future chip foundry market.