Samsung Electronics plans to use TSMC's 3-nanometer process to produce base dies for NVIDIA's next-generation custom high-bandwidth memory, according to unnamed industry sources cited by South Korea's Seoul Economic Daily.
NVIDIA has requested that Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron all adopt TSMC's 3-nanometer process uniformly for the base die production of their custom NVHBM products.
NVIDIA aims to standardize the manufacturing process across all suppliers to ensure consistent product performance.
This marks the first time that Samsung has partnered with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM) in the HBM manufacturing segment.
The NVHBM is developed based on the seventh-generation HBM4E architecture.
For NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA), the move reflects its strategy to maintain tight control over quality and compatibility across its HBM supply chain as demand for AI accelerators continues to surge.
By mandating a single foundry process for base die production, NVIDIA seeks to reduce variability and streamline integration across its partners' offerings.
Samsung's decision to collaborate with TSMC on this front signals a notable shift in its approach to the HBM market, where it has been competing aggressively with SK Hynix and Micron.
The adoption of TSMC's advanced 3-nanometer node for base dies could help Samsung improve yield and performance consistency, addressing previous challenges it faced in qualifying its HBM products with major customers.
Neither Samsung nor TSMC has publicly confirmed the reported plans.
The development underscores the growing complexity and interdependence of the global semiconductor supply chain, particularly in the high-stakes HBM segment driven by AI computing demand.
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