Samsung Electronics holds commemorative ceremony for the first 3nm mass-production shipment

On July 25th at the V1 Line (EUV only) in the Hwaseong Campus, Samsung Electronics Co. held a commemorative ceremony to mark the first shipment of 3-nanometer foundry chips employing next-generation transistor gate-all-around (GAA) technology. The event to congratulate and encourage 3nm GAA R&D and mass production personnel brought together upwards of 100 attendees including Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Chang-Yang Lee, partners, fabless customers, Samsung Electronics DS Division CEO Kyehyun Kyung, and other Samsung Electronics executives and employees. _{* CEO Youngjae Kim of Daeduck Electronics, CEO Joon-hyuk Lee of Dongjin Semichem, CEO Hyuk-seok Jeong of Soulbrain,
CEO Changhyun Kim of ONE Semiconductor Corp., CEO Hyun-deok Lee of Wonik IPS, CEO Kyung-il Lee of PSK,
CEO Sang-Geol Ko of KC Tech, CEO Jang-gyu Lee of Telechips} The Foundry Business Division at Samsung Electronics is confident in the new 3nm GAA mass production process, and is committed to cementing its world-best position through continued technological innovation and advanced foundry technologies. Senior Executive Vice President Gitae Jeong, Director of Technology Development at the Samsung Electronics Foundry Business Division provided a briefing on development of 3nm GAA, a process engaging multiple business units - the Foundry Business Division, the Semiconductor Lab, and Global Manufacturing & Infrastructure General Management, etc. - in overcoming numerous technological hurdles and bringing the new technology to mass production. Samsung Electronics CEO and DS Division Director Kyehyun Kyung offered words of congratulations and encouragement: “3nm GAA mass production is a landmark achievement for our foundry business: our early success in GAA technology as an alternative to FinFET transistors which have reached their technological limit is a prime example of true technological innovation, creating something from nothing.” In his congratulatory speech, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Chang-Yang Lee expressed his gratitude to Samsung Electronics’ and the semiconductor industry as a whole, and asked that “Samsung Electronics, the system semiconductor industry, and the material, parts, and equipment industries join hands to stay ahead of fierce global competition in ultra-fine processing.” He emphasized that “The government will spare no effort in supporting private investment, fostering talent, developing technology, and building ecosystems for material, parts, and equipment under the government’s ‘Semiconductor Superpower Strategy’ announced last week.” Samsung Electronics began research on GAA transistor structures in the early 2000s, first applying the technology to 3nm processes in 2017. Samsung’s 3nm GAA process mass production announcement last month was a world-first. The Samsung Electronics 3nm GAA process will initially be applied to chips for high-performance computing (HPC), with key customers being engaged to expand applications across various product categories including mobile SoCs. CEO Hyun-deok Lee of Wonik IPS, a Korean semiconductor equipment company, attended the event: “Working with Samsung Electronics on preparations for 3nm GAA foundry process mass production has helped enhance the capacities of our personnel at Wonik IPS as well - we hope to continue collaborating closely with Samsung Electronics toward the advancement of Korea’s semiconductor equipment industry.” CEO Jang-gyu Lee of Telechips, a Korean fabless company commented “Telechips has high expectations for use of Samsung Electronics’ ultra-fine processes in future product designs,” adding “Samsung Electronics has actively made available ultra-fine foundry processes to Korean fabless chip companies, providing a host of support measures to help fabless companies expand their product design scope.” Samsung Electronics intends to expand 3nm GAA foundry process mass production from the Hwaseong Campus to the Pyeongtaek Campus in the near future.