According to "Business Korea," it was initially expected that Samsung would successfully secure Qualcomm's orders and open new avenues, following electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla. As concerns rise about Qualcomm, a major client, potentially leaving, the industry widely believes that the development highlights that the success or failure of Samsung's wafer foundry business still depends on whether its technological capabilities can be certified.

South Korean semiconductor industry sources indicated yesterday that Qualcomm is re-evaluating its next-generation AP manufacturing strategy, shifting its focus from Samsung Electronics, which was previously widely expected, back to its main competitor, TSMC.

This suggests that from a risk management perspective, Qualcomm views TSMC's production lines as a priority. Some observers even speculate that Qualcomm might transfer all its orders to TSMC, as the more advanced the process, the higher the direct correlation between yield improvement and profitability.

Samsung has been continuously discussing 2nm foundry cooperation with Qualcomm since the beginning of the year. This was based on external expectations that Samsung's long-standing issues with low yield rates had significantly improved.

However, industry analysts believe that Samsung has again suffered setbacks due to unsatisfactory yield rates. Critics point out that yield problems have persisted for years, and the 2nm process is no exception. Consequently, disputes over process stability have re-emerged, reportedly hindering foundry negotiations between the two parties.

Industry sources revealed that Samsung Electronics' 2nm process yield rate was only slightly above 20% in the second half of 2025, and even recently, it has not reached the 60% threshold required for stable production. In contrast, TSMC's 2nm process yield rate has reached 60% to 70%, and its mass production stability has been verified.

According to reports, Qualcomm has not completely terminated its cooperation with Samsung. The industry believes that if Samsung's yield rate breaks through a certain level in the future, Qualcomm might adopt a diversified procurement strategy, with some product lines or capacity still allocated to Samsung. (Compiled by Hung Chi-yuan) 1150410

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  • Source: CNA (Central News Agency)
  • Category: financial