Samsung's Taylor Fab to Start Trial Production This Month: 2nm Capacity Already Sold Out

2026-09-09

On September 8, 2026, foreign media reported that Samsung Electronics' first wafer fab in Taylor, Texas, will officially begin trial operations from late September to early October. Notably, even before the fab has entered mass production, its entire planned capacity has already been fully booked by customers, with an initial monthly capacity of 50,000 wafers.

The early sell‑out of the Taylor fab's capacity is attributed to the continuous influx of 2nm process orders. Confirmed 2nm orders for the fab include Tesla's next‑generation AI chip "AI5", Broadcom's next‑generation communication semiconductors, and Arm's edge‑side AI chips for smart devices. In its second‑quarter 2026 earnings report, Samsung Electronics projected that its 2nm order volume this year would more than double compared to the previous year.

2nm Yield Exceeds 80%

The yield rate of the 2nm process has been a key focus of external attention. According to disclosed information, Samsung's 2nm yield stood at around 60% at the beginning of this year, but has recently improved to approximately 80%, reaching a level capable of supporting mass production. This rapid yield ramp‑up benefits from the technology spillover effect driven by the stable yields of existing advanced nodes such as 4nm and 5nm. The Taylor fab serves as Samsung's core base for the 2nm process. Currently, TSMC's 2nm monthly capacity is about 80,000 wafers, while Samsung's initial 50,000‑wafer scale at Taylor approaches roughly 60% of the former's level.

$37 Billion Investment and Second Fab Preparation

Samsung has invested a cumulative total of $37 billion in the Taylor fab since 2022. In June of this year, Samsung dispatched process, equipment, and yield managers to the Taylor site, and equipment installation began in July. The fab is scheduled to start trial operations in October 2026 and enter full‑scale mass production in 2027.

While the first fab is approaching trial production, preparations for Samsung's second Taylor wafer fab are also accelerating in parallel. According to a Yonhap News report on July 30, Samsung Electronics confirmed during its earnings conference call that the second foundry project will officially break ground by the end of 2026, with mass production targeted for 2030.

Supply chain sources indicate that Samsung is bringing in equipment from domestic partners in South Korea for the second fab. Samsung has requested that key partners obtain safety certifications for the semiconductor production equipment intended for the second phase well in advance, and some partners are actively dispatching dozens of personnel to the Taylor Phase II site to support construction.

Global 2nm Competition

Beyond Samsung, other global semiconductor giants are also accelerating their deployment of advanced nodes such as 2nm. Intel is increasing its investment in the 2nm‑class 18A process and the next‑generation 1.4nm 14A process, and last month issued $20 billion in new shares. Japan's Rapidus, established by eight major Japanese companies including SoftBank, Sony, and Toyota, completed construction of a new foundry in Hokkaido last month and has entered the trial production phase for 2nm wafers.

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