Samsung said last month that it had begun producing chips based on a 3-nanometer (nm) manufacturing node using the Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistor architecture.

The company revealed today at a Korean event that it has begun shipping the first 3nm chip made using Gate All Around technology at the V1 line (EUV only) at Hwaseong Campus.

With the belief that “we will move forward with innovative technology to become the best in the world,” Samsung Electronics’ Foundry Division seeks to increase the competitiveness of its business through mass production of the 3-nano GAA process and pre-emptive foundry technology.

According to Samsung, around 100 people attended the occasion, including Samsung Electronics CEO Kye Kyung-hyeon, Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energy Changyang Lee, suppliers, fabless, and executives and workers who engaged in 3nm GAA R&D and mass production.

According to Samsung, the Pyeongtaek Campus would eventually see the addition of 3-nano GAA chip fabrication. While Samsung’s top rival in the semiconductor business, TSMC, is expected to begin its 3nm chip production around Q4 2022.

Going by a report from last year, AMD and Qualcomm might be among the first customers of Samsung’s new cutting-edge process. The report also mentioned that Nvidia might also be among the first brands to adopt the 3nm node from Samsung, however, the company’s recent overbooking issues have left a big question mark on this possibility.

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Samsung unveiled the 3GAE (3nm Gate-All-Around Early) and 3GAP (3nm Gate-All-Around Plus) nodes in May 2019, promising that chips produced through these new technologies could yield a substantial reduction in power consumption and enhancements in overall performance. A 35% performance jump was projected, in addition to a 50% reduction in power consumption when compared with the existing 7LPP nodes technique.

Together with a raft of other methods, these processes were outlined by the chipmaking arm of Samsung – Samsung Foundry in 2021. It was part of its technological roadmap, with high-volume production of chips through the process scheduled for commencement in 2021. However, several challenges have been encountered in the chipmaking market, with the coronavirus pandemic playing a major role in the shift in expectations and targets.

Samsung Foundry has now made changes to its 3nm process nodes, stating that the first 3GAE chips will be mass-produced within its facilities from next year. It seems, however, that the 3GAE chips have been removed from the company’s roadmap outlined during the Foundry 2021 event, held in China. This could mean that Samsung will be producing the product for internal use by Samsung smartphones only. The successor chips to the 3GAE are the 3GAP models, which could commence high-volume production in Samsung Foundry by 2023. The Samsung Roadmap also provides timelines for several other chip technologies like the 5LPP and 4LPP, which are slated for 2021 and 2022 high-volume production, respectively.

Samsung Foundry is the second-largest smartphone chip-maker after TSMC. It is an independent arm of Samsung and continues to provide critical supplies that have made Samsung sufficiently weather the global chip shortage without significantly affecting its overall outlook. It had been reported previously that Samsung was skipping the 4nm process, with a focus on the 3nm process. While the current chips adorning Samsung’s latest flagship offerings is built on the 5nm-process, the 3nm chips will be smaller, more powerful, and more efficient.

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