According to TheElec, Qualcomm has handed over the 3 nm AP foundry order exclusively to TSMC, and the processor will be launched next year.
Sources said that Qualcomm also handed over part of its foundry work to its 4nm application processor Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 to TSMC, while Qualcomm only handed it over to Samsung Electronics. TSMC is said to have started producing the wafers needed for the chip after receiving orders last year and will deliver them to customers in the second quarter.
Sources said Qualcomm decided to rely more on TSMC instead of Samsung Electronics because the latter's advanced process nodes are facing yield problems. Samsung Electronics' Semiconductor Foundry Division's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 yields about 35 percent, while its self-developed Exynos 2200 has a lower yield.
One of the sources said snapdragon was more productive than Exynos because Qualcomm sent an executive and engineer to the production site of Samsung's foundry to help solve some problems.
But they said Qualcomm decided to make TSMC its foundry for chips because it believed that in the face of a global chip shortage, it could not sit idly by with such low production.
When Samsung Mobile President TM Roh visited the United States last year, Qualcomm disclosed the above information to him.
They added that Samsung Electronics is reviewing its foundry because it has failed to meet the needs of its mobile business unit as well as major customer Qualcomm.
After competing with TSMC last year and losing Nvidia's 7nm GPU foundry order, Qualcomm's decision was a major blow to Samsung Electronics.
And, if Qualcomm and NVIDIA decide to rely entirely on TSMC in the future, Samsung will lose the two largest customers that foundry companies rely on for revenue.
However, Qualcomm decided to continue to give its order for its 7nm RF chip to Samsung and promised additional orders.
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