According to South Korean media reports, TSMC (2330) and Samsung Electronics are set to produce the industry's most advanced 2nm process chips in the second half of this year, with competition anticipated to intensify. However, Samsung's yield rate remains lower than TSMC's, posing a challenge in attracting orders.

Reports indicate that TSMC has begun receiving orders for the 2nm process and will produce them at its facilities in Hsinchu and Kaohsiung. This marks TSMC's first use of Gate-All-Around (GAA) architecture to manufacture 2nm chips, which are expected to enhance performance by 10% to 15%, reduce power consumption by 25% to 30%, and increase transistor density by 15% compared to the current 3nm process.

Key customers for TSMC include Apple, NVIDIA, AMD, Qualcomm, and MediaTek, all expected to be among the first adopters of the 2nm technology. MediaTek's CEO, Cai Lixing, announced during the Taipei International Computer Show in May that the company would finalize designs for its 2nm chips in September.

Meanwhile, Samsung also aims to begin producing 2nm chips in the latter half of the year, although it has not disclosed which products will utilize them, it's generally expected that they will be featured in the new Galaxy S26 flagship smartphone with its own Exynos 2600 processor.

Currently, TSMC's yield for the 2nm process has surpassed 60%, crossing the threshold for stable mass production; in contrast, Samsung's yield is reported to be about 40%, significantly lower than TSMC's. Despite being the first to employ GAA architecture in producing 3nm chips, Samsung has struggled with low yields initially, and plans to use its previous experience with GAA to improve its 2nm yields.

Samsung's challenge lies in attracting orders from tech giants to maintain its competitive edge in advanced processes, having previously hired Margaret Han, who had worked at TSMC, to lead its wafer foundry division.