Jisang Jang “TSMC is a company specialized in production technology, and Samsung Electronics with design power is the top one”

Enter 2021.03.11 06:00

“World’s No. 1 foundry TSMC, a company with good production technology”
“Samsung Electronics, Chip Design, Foundry, and Cellular Phones are Competitive”
“Apple supply and EUV exposure equipment must be secured”

“We have the ability to design semiconductor chips as well as production technology that can make semiconductor chips according to ordered specifications,” in response to the recent rise of the influence of TSMC, a system semiconductor company in Taiwan, due to the recent semiconductor shortage. Samsung Electronics is one of the top rankings.”

In an interview with Chosun Biz on the 8th, Jang Ji-sang said, “Semiconductors can be a very important competitive edge in production as well as miniaturization technology.” It is a company that specializes in production technology, but it is clearly different from Samsung Electronics, which has the ability to design semiconductor chips while supplying large quantities of DRAM and NAND,” he said.

TSMC of Taiwan, the world’s No. 1 foundry (consignment production of semiconductors), decided to increase the production of 5-nano chips by about 33% from the beginning of the year by the end of this year in order to outrun the pursuit of Samsung Electronics. On the other hand, Samsung Electronics, which has been pushed out of the 5-nano process, is planning to compete in the 3-nano process next year. It can be seen as a confrontation between quantity and quality. However, as TSMC’s 3-nano process development speed is faster than expected, narrowing the gap can be a variable.

TSMC recently decided to increase the size of wafers from 90,000 sheets per month to 105,000 sheets per month on the 5-nano process line, and then secure an additional production capacity of 120,000 sheets (33.3%) per month until the second half of the year and 160,000 sheets per month by 2024. I plan to do it. To this end, TSMC is concentrating on maximizing mass production of 5-nano chips, such as dispatching 1,000 engineers to the Tainan 5-nano plant in Taiwan.

Following TSMC, Samsung Electronics also added to mass production of 5 nanometers, which ignited fair competition below 10 nanometers. TSMC and Samsung Electronics are the only two companies that can make 5-7 nano-level semiconductors yet. It is known that Samsung Electronics has raised the production capacity of the 5-nano foundry line to be built in the 2nd Pyeongtaek factory from 28,000 to 43,000.

Samsung Electronics intends to aim for a super gap in the future 3-nano process as the departure of 5 nanometers is relatively late. Samsung Electronics has announced that it will mass-produce 3 nanometers by 2022.

“The domestic semiconductor companies such as Samsung Electronics have held 70% of the market share in the memory semiconductor market, but the possibility of growth in the system semiconductor and foundry markets is endless.” Samsung Electronics already has the technology to design APs and artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors that are used in mobile phones, so it is judged that it has sufficient competitiveness.”

Director Jang pointed out that Apple’s chip order transaction such as the iPhone 12 and the supply and demand of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) exposure equipment could be variables. “Samsung Electronics designs and manufactures chips and sells mobile phone products. In a way, it is impossible for Apple to place orders for chips from Samsung Electronics, which made the Galaxy competing with the iPhone,” said Jang. I have no choice but to do it. “For example, in the case of Intel’s rival AMD, it gives the amount to Samsung Electronics.” .

EUV equipment is expensive, exceeding 150 billion won per unit, but supply is in short supply due to high utilization in foundries and memory fields. Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong met with the management of ASML, a Dutch semiconductor equipment company, in October last year to discuss the supply of EUV exposure equipment. In addition, in December of last year, ASML executives, including CEO Peter Burning, visited Korea. They met with Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Sung Yun-mo and key figures from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to discuss EUV equipment.