Samsung 8-Inch GaN Foundry Line Faces Reliability Issues, Delays Mass Production

Chip failures after prolonged high-temperature operation are hindering the mass production timeline for Samsung's 8-inch gallium nitride (GaN) wafer foundry line. The line, located at the Giheung complex in Yongin, saw some chips fail after approximately 1,000 hours of continuous operation at temperatures between 100 and 200 degrees Celsius during trial production. As a result, the original target of mass production by 2026 will be delayed.

The line is dedicated to GaN foundry and has a design capacity of 1,300 to 1,500 wafers per month. It recently completed trial runs for several fabless customers, but subsequent reliability testing revealed the issues. The failures directly affect the application of GaN chips in 1,200-volt high-voltage and above-200-degree-Celsius high-temperature scenarios.

Samsung has launched a root cause investigation, focusing on the wafer manufacturing process. The company's GaN epitaxial wafers are produced using a self-developed process, employing imported MOCVD equipment to grow GaN functional layers on silicon wafers.

A Samsung Electronics representative said the project remains in the pre-production stage and is addressing routine development challenges before mass production. "This is a normal problem-solving process during the trial production phase. It is too early to judge the observed phenomena as product defects," the representative stated.

Construction of the production line has already undergone multiple adjustments.

In the GaN foundry market, manufacturers such as Infineon, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments, and Innoscience have been commercially shipping GaN chips for one to two years. Some fabless customers are currently evaluating alternative foundry partners including GlobalFoundries, Powerchip, and X-FAB.