Samsung

Tesla is reportedly shutting down its Dojo project, a move indicating a shift towards external partnerships for its AI needs. Head of Dojo, Peter Bannon, is expected to leave. Tesla plans to enhance collaborations with Nvidia and AMD for computing, and deepen its partnership with Samsung in chip manufacturing, evidenced by a $16.5 billion deal. Samsung will reportedly produce Tesla’s AI6 chip, while TSMC will manufacture the AI5. Tesla also plans to diversify Dojo’s supply chain, engaging Samsung and Intel for chip manufacturing and packaging.

Tesla has reportedly signed a $16.5 billion deal with Samsung for AI chip manufacturing, intended for electric vehicles and robotics. The agreement focuses on the AI6 chip, potentially utilizing a 2nm process with production in Austin, Texas, starting in 2025. Despite this, Morgan Stanley analysts believe the deal will only minimally impact TSMC’s revenue, estimating a 1% reduction, as TSMC remains a key supplier for Tesla and xAI. TSMC is set to launch its 3nm A15 chip in 2026, while Samsung’s A16 isn’t expected until 2027.

In Q2 2025, SK Hynix surpassed Samsung as the leading memory manufacturer, reporting ₩21.8 trillion in sales versus Samsung’s ₩21.2 trillion. This shift is driven by high demand for High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) fueled by the AI boom. SK Hynix benefited from its HBM partnership with Nvidia, while Samsung’s HBM shipment share declined. Samsung anticipates potential price declines for its HBM3E but expects rising DRAM prices to offset the impact. Both SK Hynix and Micron are increasing HBM3E production, intensifying market competition.

In 2018, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang proposed a collaboration with Samsung encompassing HBM, advanced process node development, and CUDA advancement. Reportedly rejected due to Samsung’s internal challenges, this decision allowed Nvidia to partner with SK Hynix for HBM, a lucrative alliance that saw SK Hynix’s share price surge. Meanwhile, Samsung now lags in HBM production and the AI chip foundry market, dominated by TSMC for Nvidia’s chips. Samsung is now trying to catch up, aiming for HBM4 contracts.

Samsung has reportedly delayed its 1.4nm test line construction, potentially pushing production rollout to 2028 due to market headwinds and its foundry business’s financial losses. The company is now focusing on its 2nm process, aiming for mass production by year-end, and pursuing orders from top suppliers like Tesla and Qualcomm. They plan to deploy the 2nm process at their new Texas facility.

TSMC’s 2nm process has achieved a production yield exceeding 60%, solidifying its leadership in semiconductor manufacturing. This puts them far ahead of Samsung, whose 2nm yield is around 40%. TSMC’s 2nm technology, leveraging GAA, promises significant performance and efficiency gains. Key clients like Apple, NVIDIA, and AMD are expected to adopt it, while Samsung is targeting 2nm production for its Exynos 2600 processor later this year.

Samsung’s 12-layer HBM3E memory is facing delays in obtaining NVIDIA certification, potentially pushing the timeline to Q4 2025. This setback for the tech giant, which previously aimed for earlier certification dates, could impact its market strategy and revenue. Meanwhile, competitors like Micron are poised to gain market share, as they are actively pursuing HBM3E opportunities, notably with NVIDIA’s GB300 project.

SK Hynix has surpassed Samsung to become the world’s largest DRAM revenue generator in Q1 2025, fueled by high bandwidth memory (HBM) demand. A report from Omdia shows SK Hynix generated $9.718 billion in revenue, securing a 36% market share and dethroning Samsung, which held the top spot since 1992. Although a slight decrease from Q4 2024, SK Hynix’s performance highlights the shifting dynamics in the DRAM market.