In the competitive landscape of global semiconductor manufacturing, TSMC and Samsung Electronics stand as the two dominant players. Samsung Electronics, although lagging behind TSMC in the mass production of 7nm and 5nm processes, took the lead in the 3nm process by starting mass production on June 30, 2022, almost half a year ahead of TSMC.

This early advantage for Samsung Electronics in the 3nm process did not, however, secure a larger share of customer orders. According to foreign media reports, as of last Monday, seven major companies have decided to prioritize TSMC's 3nm process technology. Among them, Google and Qualcomm were clients that Samsung's foundry business had been actively pursuing, but they ultimately opted for TSMC after careful consideration.

Google's in-house Tensor chips, which were manufactured by Samsung Electronics up to the fourth generation, will be produced by TSMC for the fifth generation using the 3nm process. Qualcomm, which was widely expected to outsource the initial batch of Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 to TSMC, seems to have confirmed this trend.

Global fabless semiconductor companies and IT manufacturers developing their chips are expected to adopt the 3nm process as their primary technology this year, with the majority likely to place their orders with TSMC. This trend could potentially widen the gap in market share between Samsung Electronics and TSMC.

Reports also suggest that manufacturers like Nvidia and Qualcomm chose TSMC for the 3nm process due to Samsung's lower yield rates and lower energy efficiency in the chips they manufacture. Analysts believe that while Samsung Electronics focuses on controlling power consumption and heat generation, its performance is still 10%-20% lower than that of TSMC. With the expansion of AI services in the mobile sector and server market, chip energy efficiency has become a critical factor.

Furthermore, Samsung Electronics' first-generation 3nm process technology has fallen short of expectations in terms of yield rates and efficiency, being used only for niche market chips. The Exynos 2500 chip, developed by Samsung's System LSI division and manufactured using Samsung's 3nm process, has also disappointed in terms of yield rates.

TSMC, with its technological edge in the 3nm process technology, has won the trust and orders of several key customers. This not only demonstrates TSMC's leading position in the global semiconductor manufacturing field but also lays a solid foundation for the company's future development. As technology continues to advance and market demand grows, TSMC is poised to continue playing a significant role in the global semiconductor industry.