Samsung Electronics' yield on its 2-nanometer process node is approaching 60%, a figure that positions the Korean chipmaker in direct competition with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) for orders from the world's largest technology companies.

The yield milestone, reported on May 30, marks a critical benchmark for Samsung's foundry business. Yield — the share of usable chips produced on a silicon wafer — determines both cost per chip and a manufacturer's ability to win high-volume orders from fabless customers. A yield approaching 60% on an advanced node signals that Samsung's 2nm technology is moving from early production toward competitive, scaled manufacturing.

Why does the 60% figure matter?

Advanced-node yields below roughly 60% have historically made foundries uncompetitive on price, because defective dies inflate the effective cost of every shipped chip. Reaching this threshold on 2nm suggests Samsung can now quote pricing that fabless customers will take seriously for flagship products.

The timing matters as well. Major technology companies are qualifying suppliers for their next generations of mobile and high-performance processors, and foundry selection at the 2nm class is being decided now. Samsung's improved yield strengthens its hand in those negotiations against TSMC, which has long held the leading share of the advanced-node market.

Who are the potential customers?

The report indicates that Samsung is targeting orders from major technology companies — the large fabless designers of mobile, computing and AI processors that split their wafer volume between the two leading foundries. Winning a share of those orders at 2nm would represent a significant commercial shift for Samsung's foundry division, which has trailed TSMC in advanced-node market share in recent years.

What comes next?

For Samsung, the task ahead is sustaining and improving the yield beyond 60% as production volumes scale. Customers typically demand demonstrated, stable yields over multiple quarters before committing flagship chips to a new supplier.

For the wider market, a Samsung foundry operating competitively at 2nm gives chip designers a second qualified source at the leading edge — a factor that influences pricing and supply security across the semiconductor supply chain.

The competitive dynamic between Samsung and TSMC at 2nm will play out over coming quarters as order decisions are finalized.