[News] Samsung’s Taylor Fab Reportedly Nears 90% Readiness as Tesla Chip Push Advances; LPDDR6 Ties Emerge

As Elon Musk confirmed on X that the AI5 tape-out has been completed, attention is shifting to how Samsung Electronics accelerates ramp-up at its Taylor fab while deepening cooperation with Tesla on memory. According to Hankyung, Samsung plans to begin full-scale ramp-up in the second half of 2026, with a major equipment installation ceremony at the Taylor site scheduled for the 24th.

Notably, ZDNet reports that AI6 and AI6.5 are expected to adopt LPDDR6, with Samsung Electronics also set to join the LPDDR supply chain starting from AI6.

Taylor Site Readies for Key Milestone in Samsung–Tesla Partnership

Hankyung notes that although Samsung Electronics’s Taylor Fab 1 was originally slated to start operations in October 2024 but faced multiple delays, the company has now completed preparations to bring the foundry online. Citing a local source, the report suggests core equipment began arriving as early as last week, with “mass production readiness” now seen as effectively past the 90% mark.

A major equipment installation ceremony, therefore, is set for the 24th, attended by senior executives including foundry head Han Jin-man, along with key domestic and overseas suppliers, the report notes.

This would mark a key milestone in the Samsung Electronics–Tesla partnership, as the first products to be produced at the Taylor fab are set to be AI5 and AI6 next-generation autonomous driving chips, according to Hankyung. Under Tesla’s arrangement, AI5 production will be shared between Samsung and TSMC, while AI6 will be manufactured entirely by Samsung.

However, Chosun Biz notes that the key variable remains yield, adding that Samsung Electronics’s 2nm process is currently in the mid-50% range, still below the ~60% level typically seen as the threshold for stable mass production. That also trails rival TSMC, which is reported to have reached 2nm yields in the 80%–90% range, the report adds.

Tesla AI Chips to Deepen LPDDR Supply Chain for Samsung, SK hynix

On the other hand, ZDNet highlights that the ramp-up of Tesla’s in-house AI chip production is expected to boost demand for low-power DRAM (LPDDR) from Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.

Notably, the report says AI5 is currently mainly supplied by SK hynix, with recent samples already using its LPDDR5X. From AI6 onward, however, Samsung is expected to join the LPDDR supply chain, expanding its footprint in Tesla’s AI roadmap, according to ZDNet.

In particular, AI6 and AI6.5 are also expected to adopt LPDDR6. As the 8th-generation LPDDR standard, LPDDR6 delivers bandwidth of around 10.6–14.4 Gbps—roughly 1.5x higher than LPDDR5X’s 8.5–10.7 Gbps range—with commercial rollout expected as early as the second half of 2026, the report adds.

Read more

• [News] Samsung Reportedly Secures Partial Taylor Fab Use Approval, Timeline May Move Up
• [News] Delay at Samsung’s Taylor Reportedly Slips Mass Production to 2027, Raising Concerns for Tesla

(Photo credit: Samsung)