AMD Reportedly Exploring Samsung’s 4nm Process for Future Chips

AMD is reportedly considering adopting Samsung’s 4nm process technology (SF4/4LPP) for its upcoming I/O die (IOD) chips, potentially expanding its foundry partnerships beyond TSMC and GlobalFoundries. This move aligns with AMD’s strategic effort to reduce reliance on TSMC while optimizing production costs.

AMD’s Ongoing Foundry Diversification Strategy

Since spinning off its wafer manufacturing business and fabs, AMD has primarily relied on TSMC and GlobalFoundries for semiconductor production. However, rumors of a potential AMD-Samsung collaboration surfaced as early as 2021, with speculation that AMD could use Samsung’s foundry for less critical, cost-sensitive chips.

During AMD Tech Day 2024 in July, AMD officially outlined its CPU roadmap, revealing the Zen 6 architecture as the successor to Zen 5. This new generation will feature Zen 6 and Zen 6c, adopting a big.LITTLE-like hybrid core approach. However, AMD did not disclose Zen 6’s expected launch date or process node details at the event.

Later reports indicated that AMD's Zen 6 CPU core complex dies (CCD) will be built on TSMC’s N3E process, while its I/O dies (IOD) will use TSMC’s N4C node. Now, fresh reports from TechPowerUp suggest AMD is also testing Samsung’s 4nm process for IOD manufacturing.

Why AMD Might Choose Samsung’s 4nm Process?

Samsung’s SF4 (4LPP) process reportedly offers transistor density comparable to TSMC’s N5 process and significant efficiency improvements over N6 nodes. If AMD integrates Samsung’s foundry services, key advantages could include:

Lower Power Consumption: Advanced nodes allow for better power efficiency and new power management features in I/O dies.

Enhanced Memory Controller Support: The new IOD chip could introduce support for faster DDR5 speeds and next-gen DIMM standards like CUDIMM.

Cost Efficiency: Diversifying foundry suppliers may provide pricing leverage against TSMC and optimize overall production costs.

Samsung’s 4nm Yield Improvements May Drive Adoption

One of the main concerns with Samsung’s foundry processes has historically been yield rates. Initial reports suggested Samsung’s 4nm yield was around 25%, significantly lagging behind TSMC. However, recent optimizations have improved yield rates to nearly 70%, bringing it closer to TSMC’s levels.

Given these improvements, AMD could be increasingly confident in Samsung’s ability to deliver reliable wafer production at competitive costs. However, AMD has yet to confirm these reports, and whether Samsung’s 4LPP node will officially enter AMD’s production pipeline remains to be seen.

If AMD successfully integrates Samsung’s 4nm process, this move could reshape competition in the semiconductor industry, potentially challenging TSMC’s near-monopoly on AMD’s advanced chip production while providing Samsung with a significant customer in the high-performance computing market.