Samsung Foundry became the first semiconductor manufacturer to mass-produce chips using Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistor architecture with its 3nm SF3 process in 2022, beating TSMC to the next-generation transistor structure. In Q4 2025, Samsung began mass production of its 2nm SF2 process — also GAA-based — with the Exynos 2600 mobile processor as its first commercial product. The SF2 process uses third-generation GAA nanosheet transistors with backside power delivery network (BSPDN) planned for the enhanced SF2Z variant.
GAA transistors represent the biggest architectural shift in chip manufacturing since FinFETs replaced planar transistors in 2011. By wrapping the gate electrode around all four sides of the channel (instead of three sides in FinFET), GAA transistors deliver better electrostatic control, enabling continued scaling below 3nm. Samsung's first-mover advantage in GAA manufacturing is significant — it demonstrates the company can pioneer new transistor architectures even if TSMC dominates current-generation volume.
Samsung Foundry's strategic importance lies in preventing a TSMC monopoly on advanced logic fabrication. With TSMC controlling ~60% of the global foundry market and ~90% of sub-7nm production, Samsung Foundry is the only alternative for customers (Qualcomm, Google, Nvidia) seeking supply chain diversification. Samsung's ability to offer competitive 2nm production gives the global semiconductor industry a critical second source for the most advanced chips.