Reports indicate that Samsung Electronics plans to raise its wafer foundry prices, with 4nm and 8nm processes potentially increasing by 10%

According to South Korean media outlet ZDNetKorea, global semiconductor giant Samsung Electronics is considering raising prices for some advanced process technologies in its foundry business, primarily targeting the currently high-demand 4nm and 8nm processes, with an average increase of around 10%. This move is seen as a key adjustment by Samsung to address rising costs, tight capacity, and market competition.

Due to continued growth in demand from high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and some consumer electronics sectors, Samsung's 4nm and 8nm process capacity utilization is nearing saturation. Both processes have entered mature mass production stages. The 4nm process mainly serves high-performance-focused high-end mobile processors and AI chip customers, while the 8nm process is favored in the IoT, display driver, and mid-range chip sectors due to its excellent cost-effectiveness.

The report states that this price adjustment decision is based on two main considerations in addition to the tight capacity of the relevant processes. On the one hand, the continued rise in the costs of raw materials, energy, and labor required for global wafer manufacturing is putting significant pressure on foundries. On the other hand, TSMC, the industry leader, driven by surging AI orders and rising costs, has continuously adjusted its prices, with significant increases in some processes. This provides Samsung with room for price adjustments and a market basis.

If this price adjustment is implemented, it is expected to directly impact the cost structure of downstream chip design companies and may gradually be passed on to end electronic products. However, since advanced process capacity is currently still in short supply, customer acceptance is expected to be high.