[News] Samsung Reportedly Completes Tesla AI5 Tape-out, Paving the Way for 2nm Ramp at Taylor Fab
Samsung’s 2nm ramp at its Taylor fab may be moving closer to reality. According to Yonhap News, a Samsung Foundry official recently shared on LinkedIn that Tesla’s AI5 chip has completed tape-out and is expected to enter production afterwards on Samsung’s 2nm process at the Texas facility.
As highlighted by Yonhap News, the disclosure marks the first time Samsung Foundry’s production timeline for the Tesla AI5 chip has been revealed in concrete terms.
Notably, Samsung is not expected to be the sole foundry partner for Tesla’s next-generation AI chips. Yonhap News adds that Tesla will split AI5 production between Samsung and TSMC, while Samsung will reportedly take full responsibility for AI6 and TSMC will handle AI6.5.
Meanwhile, Samsung is already mass-producing Tesla’s existing AI4 chip on its 7nm process at the Pyeongtaek foundry line, with the upgraded AI4 version also expected to be produced at the same campus, according to Yonhap News.
Taylor Fab Becomes Key to Samsung’s Foundry Recovery
The positive development, as noted by The Guru, also signals that preparations for Samsung’s Taylor fab are accelerating. Samsung began moving key front-end and back-end semiconductor equipment into the facility in late April and has deployed core engineers from its South Korean headquarters to secure initial yields, the report adds.
As previously reported by The Elec, Samsung has reaffirmed that the Texas fab will begin ramp production in 2027. Beyond standard 2nm, industry observers cited by the report also expect Samsung to introduce its SF2P+ (second-generation enhanced 2nm process) at the facility, further strengthening its advanced-node capabilities.
A successful 2nm ramp at Taylor could provide fresh momentum for Samsung Foundry’s long-awaited recovery after years of losses, ET News reports. With its mid- to long-term order backlog nearing KRW 50 trillion, Samsung is also expanding its foundry customer base beyond Tesla, securing partnerships with major tech companies including Meta and Anthropic, the report adds.
Read more
- [News] Samsung Accelerates U.S. Expansion as Taylor Fab Targets 2027 Start, HQ Reportedly Moves to Texas in 2026
- [News] Delay at Samsung’s Taylor Reportedly Slips Mass Production to 2027, Raising Concerns for Tesla
(Photo credit: Taylor Government)