Despite the continued trade conflict between Japan and South Korea, Samsung Electronics’ scheduled foundry forum in Tokyo, Japan, will be held as scheduled. Samsung is expected to showcase its advanced process technology and provide a process kit for the production of chips below 3 nanometers called "Ground Surround" (GAA) technology. Samsung is said to be the world's leading wafer foundry leader in TSA technology for one year, and more advanced Intel (Intel) for two to three years.

South Korean media BusinessKorea reported that Samsung announced on the 28th that the "Samsung Foundry Forum" (SFF) will be held in Tokyo on September 4th, and has begun to accept applications on the website on the 26th. At a time when trade tensions between Japan and South Korea are rising, the industry is wondering whether the forum will be held in Tokyo as scheduled. Samsung’s decision has dispelled doubts.

According to industry experts, Samsung wants to convey the message that Samsung’s foundry business will not be interrupted despite the threat of “out of stock” in Japan.

The report pointed out that Samsung will showcase its own nano-process technology and provide a process kit called "Ground Surround" (GAA) technology. GAA technology will be used in 3nm, even more sophisticated process technology.

On the 4th, the Japanese authorities strengthened the control of the export of three important semiconductor materials. Among them, the Japanese photoresist is the key material of the ultra-violet (EUV) lithography technology, which makes Samsung's foundry department bear the brunt and weakens TSMC. The ability to compete in 7 nanometer chips.

The EUV process is the key to Samsung's desire to sit on the global memory, fabless and foundry business in 2030. Samsung Electronics, which is equivalent to the EUV process and TSMC, is fast-moving and producing 7-nanometer chips, and hopes to use the advance schedule to overtake TSMC. But Japan is likely to kick South Korea out of the "white list" this week, and Samsung's imports of high-tech raw materials are expected to be more limited.

Samsung plans to complete its first EUV chip production line in Hwaseong in the coming months and plans to build another EUV production line in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. Today, a senior executive of Samsung pointed out that "to consider the current situation, we must consider the timing of investing in the new EUV production line."

Samsung Electronics has held wafer foundry forums in the United States, Shanghai and Seoul since May. After the end of the September forum, the next forum will be held in Munich, Germany in October.

TSMC responds: confident to stay ahead

In the face of Samsung's active sprinting foundry and attempting to accumulate power in the 3nm process, TSMC said that it does not comment on the technical development of competitors and emphasizes the confidence in 7nm, 5nm or even 3nm process. Continue to maintain a global leading position.

TSMC's supply chain analysis, TSMC's process advancement is well thought out, and backed by a strong customer base, allowing TSMC to launch an advanced process that absolutely satisfies customers' cost-effectiveness and does not compete with customers. It is the biggest niche for the leader.

The density of TSMC's current 7-nanometer transistor is not comparable to that of Samsung. TSMC is far ahead of Samsung and introduces a more advanced 5nm process. Although Samsung is eager to cut into the GAA transistor design architecture at 3nm, it is considered to be more advanced. The technology is to grab the existing customers of TSMC, but the cost of the mask after entering the 5 nanometer is extremely expensive, let alone the 3 nanometer process.

Although Samsung has always maintained a leading position in memory, it also wants to copy the memory success model and challenge TSMC status in foundry.