Samsung Electronics has announced that its new cutting-edge semiconductor fabrication line in Hwaseong, Korea has begun mass production.
The facility, V1, is Samsung's first semiconductor production line dedicated to the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology and produces chips using process node of 7nm and below, the company indicated. The V1 line broke ground earlier in February 2018, and began test wafer production in the second half of 2019. Its first products will be delivered to customers in the first quarter.
The V1 line is currently producing state-of-the-art mobile chips with 7nm and 6nm process technology, and will continue to adopt finer circuitry up to the 3nm process node, Samsung said.
By the end of 2020, the cumulative total investment in the V1 line will reach US$6 billion in accordance with Samsung's plan and the total capacity from 7nm and below process node is expected to triple from that of 2019, the company noted. Together with the S3 line, the V1 line is expected to play a pivotal role in responding to fast-growing global market demand for single-digit node foundry technologies, Samsung claimed.
As semiconductor geometries grow smaller, the adoption of EUV lithography technology has become increasingly important, as it enables scaling down of complex patterns on wafers and provides an optimal choice for next-generation applications such as 5G, AI, and automotive.
With the V1 line in operation, Samsung now has a total of six foundry production lines in South Korea and the US, including five 12-inch lines and one 8-inch line.
