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Samsung foundry utilization rates surge significantly
Monday, March 16, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Samsung is experiencing a significant surge in its foundry facility utilization rates, indicating increased demand for its semiconductor manufacturing services.
Context
As of March 2026, Samsung Electronics has achieved a significant turnaround in its foundry business, with utilization rates at its Pyeongtaek facility surging to over 80% and certain processes reaching 90%. This marks a dramatic recovery from the 50% utilization levels seen throughout 2025, which were plagued by weak mobile demand and low 3nm yields. The current rebound is primarily driven by the mass production of the Exynos 2600 processor for the Galaxy S26 flagship series, alongside a growing pipeline of high-performance computing orders.
While Samsung continues to trail TSMC in total market share, this operational surge signals a competitive stabilization. The company is leveraging its 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) technology to secure new contracts from major clients like Tesla, Nvidia, and AMD, projecting a 130% increase in 2nm orders this year. By successfully ramping up utilization, Samsung is better positioned to offset the high R&D costs of advanced nodes and capitalize on the premium AI and HPC chip market through 2027.
Sources (12)
Samsung Electronics Announces Fourth Quarter and FY 2024 Results – Samsung Global Newsroom[PDF] Earnings Presentation: 4Q 2024 Financial Results - SamsungAccelerating Multi-Die Innovation: How Samsung and Synopsys Are Shaping Chip Design | Samsung Semiconductor GlobalSamsung foundry’s Q1 utilization rate surpasses 80% - 매일경제 영문뉴스 펄스(Pulse)Samsung vows 130% growth in 2nm orders, eyes major customers besides TeslaThree Companies Set To Dominate 2026 Profits In AI Chips - ForbesTSMC Extends Market Share Lead Over Samsung ElectronicsChina boosts 7nm capacity, squeezing Samsung Electronics and TSMC - CHOSUNBIZ
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