Samsung could soon start mass production of Tesla's advanced chips

Samsung Foundry recently finished the tape-out of Tesla’s first 3nm semiconductor chip, the AI5, and Elon Musk thanked the company for its efforts and collaboration. Now, it appears that the South Korean firm is close to starting mass production of the chip.

According to a new report, Samsung has completed preparations at its chip fabrication plant in Taylor, Texas. The company plans to hold a ceremony on April 24, 2026, to mark the delivery of major equipment. The event will be attended by key executives, including Samsung Foundry President Han Jin-man, as well as representatives from local and international suppliers of components, equipment, and materials.

Once the equipment is installed and trial runs are completed, full-scale operations are expected to begin in the second half of this year. Tesla’s AI5 chip will likely be the first to be produced at this facility, followed by the 2nm-based AI6 chip in the future.

Construction of the Taylor fab began in November 2022, with operations initially planned for the second half of 2024. However, delays in securing chip orders pushed back the timeline. After winning a $16.5 billion chip order from Tesla a few months ago, Samsung accelerated work on the facility.

Samsung has also reportedly improved yields on its 2nm process node to nearly 60 percent in recent months. However, this still trails TSMC, which has achieved yields of around 70 to 80 percent. In the foundry business, success largely depends on process stability and yield. So, Samsung needs to quickly stabilize yields of its 2nm process node to 80 percent if it wants to gain new customers.