▲ Samsung Electronics' foundry production line
Samsung Electronics has raised prices for some of its advanced foundry services for new orders by up to 15 percent, Reuters reported on the 19th, citing multiple sources.
According to the sources, Samsung raised prices for semiconductors produced using its 4-nanometer process last month.
The price hikes varied, with a 10 to 15 percent increase applied to Chinese and U.S. clients, and a 5 to 10 percent increase for Taiwanese clients.
In addition, wafer prices produced through the 5-nanometer process rose by 10 to 15 percent, while wafer prices manufactured using the previous-generation 8-nanometer technology reportedly increased by nearly 10 percent.
Sources said that demand from Chinese clients was particularly strong, but Samsung is unable to fulfill all orders as it must accommodate volume for U.S. clients and allocate capacity for its own semiconductor production.
One source noted that Chinese clients were among those who accepted the steepest price hikes.
Reuters reported that this reflects a situation where Chinese companies have become increasingly reliant on overseas foundries due to U.S. export controls on advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China.
A person familiar with the matter stated that Google is also in talks with Samsung to produce chips using the 4-nanometer process.
Citing sources, Reuters reported that Samsung's Pyeongtaek 4-nanometer production line has been operating at 100% capacity since late last year.
This line produces logic chips for clients such as Qualcomm, as well as base dies used in Samsung's own high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips.
Previously, Samsung stated during its second-quarter earnings conference call on the 30th of last month that it would begin mass production of its second-generation 2-nanometer process in the second half of this year, and that profitability would significantly improve driven by higher utilization rates, improved yields, and the effects of price hikes.
Regarding Reuters' report on the day that foundry service prices were raised by up to 15 percent, a Samsung Electronics official stated, "We cannot confirm matters related to clients."
(Photo provided by Samsung Electronics, Yonhap News)
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