Report explains why Samsung Foundry's 2nm chips will be more powerful and energy efficient next year

Samsung Foundry is expected to start producing chips using its first-generation 2nm process node next year. By reducing the chip's feature set every two years or so, transistors get smaller, allowing transistor density to increase. Higher transistor density usually indicates a higher-performance chip with improved power efficiency. The Elec says it found that Samsung Foundry's 2nm node will increase the number of EUV layers by 30%.

EUV is the Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography machine, manufactured by a single company in the world, the Dutch company ASML. The device etches circuit patterns onto silicon wafers using extremely thin lines to facilitate the placement of components in a chip. Multiple layers are needed for the processors used in smartphones.

Samsung Foundry currently uses 20 EUV layers on its current 3nm production, and a 30% increase would result in 26 layers for its 2nm chips. More EUV layers should mean more transistors can be packed into a chip, allowing the SoC to handle more complex tasks while consuming less battery power.

In 2027, when Samsung Foundry is expected to start producing its 1.4nm node, the number of EUV layers is expected to rise to over 30. And transistor counts will also increase and application processors will be more powerful and energy efficient than today. Samsung Foundry's main competitor is industry leader TSMC and the Taiwan-based foundry uses up to 25 EUV layers for its current 3nm production (N3x).

Samsung Foundry began using EUV lithography in 2018 when it moved from 10nm to 7nm. Before EUV lithography, the industry used DUV lithography (or deep ultraviolet lithography). Samsung Foundry also uses EUV for DRAM production, using seven layers in the manufacture of its 10nm 6th generation DRAM chip. SK Hynix, another DRAM designer and manufacturer, uses five EUV layers.

ASML expects to ship 60 of these first-generation EUV lithography machines this year. | Image credit: ASML – Report explains why Samsung Foundry's 2nm chips will be more powerful and energy efficient next year

ASML expects to deliver 60 of these first-generation EUV lithography machines this year. | Image credit: ASML

ASML expects to ship even more EUV lithography machines this year. Each one is the size of a school bus and costs up to $183 million for the previous generation model and up to $380 million for the second generation high-NA machine. TSMC will reportedly receive 70 first-generation EUV machines from ASML in 2024 and 2025, given strong demand for chips made with its 3nm and 2nm nodes. Like Samsung Foundry, TSMC will begin producing 2nm chips next year, with its 1.4nm node expected to come on stream in 2027-2028.

The EUV lithography machine was the driving force that allowed foundries to bring their process nodes from double digits to the current 3nm. Now the new generation high NA machine from ASML has been released and to keep the new machines from TSMC and Samsung Foundry away, Intel has bought every single unit shipped to date.

While the previous generation EUV machines have an aperture of 0.33, the High-NA machines have an aperture of 0.55. The High-NA machine transfers a higher resolution pattern to a wafer, so a foundry does not have to run a wafer through the EUV machine twice to add additional features, saving time and money. Samsung Foundry has reportedly purchased at least one High-NA lithography machine, but TSMC is refusing to buy any of the new generation EUV machines for now.

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