
The South Korean chipmaker is installing 2-nm production equipment at the plant with aims to start operations by 2026, according to industry sources on Sunday.
Samsung and TSMC are the two global giants capable of mass-producing 2-nm chips, the latest foundry process technology set for commercialization in the second half of this year.
Samsung will begin mass production using the 2-nm process for Tesla's next-generation AI chip dubbed "AI6" at the plant as early as next year. The facility will become Samsung's advanced foundry hub with over $37 billion in planned investment through 2030, focusing on cutting-edge processes unlike its traditional process-oriented Austin facility.
Samsung's such approach appears to be a strategy to benefit from American tech giants' need to source semiconductors domestically amid President Donald Trump's threats of semiconductor tariffs.
But unlike Samsung, TSMC plans to produce 2-nm technology chips at its Arizona facilities around 2028, more than two years after starting 2-nm production in Taiwan this year. It has allocated only 30 percent of its 2-nm capacity to its U.S. facilities, maintaining its "homeland-first strategy" linked to Taiwan's security considerations as a deterrent against potential Chinese invasion.
Industry analysts expect companies like Qualcomm may shift some chip orders from TSMC to Samsung due to limited domestic production options, following Apple's recent decision to use Samsung-produced chips from its Austin plant.
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