Samsung has announced that it plans to boost its foundry capacity at a plant in Pyeongtaek, Korea, in a bid to meet growing global demand for its extreme ultra-violet (EUV) solutions. The new foundry line will build 5G, high-performance computing (HPC), and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions based on the 5 nanometers (nm) EUV process.
Discussing the expansion, Dr ES Jung, President and Head of Foundry Business at Samsung Electronics, said:
“This new production facility will expand Samsung’s manufacturing capabilities for sub-5nm process and enable us to rapidly respond to the increasing demand for EUV-based solutions. We remain committed to addressing the needs of our customers through active investments and recruitment of talents. This will enable us to continue to break new ground while driving robust growth for Samsung’s foundry business.”
The company hopes to have the new foundry line fully operational in the second half of 2021. The hardware developed there will play a “pivotal role” in delivering next-generation technologies such as 5G, HPC, and AI. These technologies are already starting to become important components of day-to-day life and will become even more important in the future.
While the new foundry line will significantly increase Samsung’s EUV capacity, the firm is already planning to begin mass production of the 5nm EUV process at the Hwaseong fab in the second half of 2020. Once the Pyeongtaek line is up and running next year, Samsung will boast a total of seven foundry production lines across South Korea and the United States.