Samsung Electronics has announced a roadmap for the 10nm production process and detailed specific measures to support customers, with global fabless semiconductor companies being an important part of its 10nm ambitions. Samsung published the roadmap earlier this month through a local subsidiary in the US, it’s planning to start the manufacturing process which can be utilized in the design of networking chips, mobile devices and consumer electronics using third-generation FinFET transistors by late 2016.
The company’s semiconductor business did quite well last year particularly after forming partnerships with global semiconductor foundries by transferring its 14nm technology in order to secure customers like Apple and Qualcomm. Having stabilized its 14nm process Samsung is said to be producing the next-generation chips for Apple and Qualcomm this year and the company will certainly want this momentum to continue in the years to come. This is one of the reasons why global fabless foundries are important for Samsung’s 10nm ambitions to succeed but currently the outlook is unclear, with China’s largest fabless semiconductor company Spreadtrum Communications going with Intel for consignment productions and NVIDIA rumored to switch its semiconductor supplier to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Samsung is reportedly going to counter that by altering its schedule to ensure that its customers don’t switch to TSMC.