Samsung reportedly preparing a 15 percent price hike for 5nm and 4nm chip wafer production

The demand for AI-focused processors has begun to affect the pricing policies of semiconductor manufacturers. According to the latest claims based on industry sources, Samsung is preparing to increase the prices of wafers used in its 5nm and 4nm production processes by approximately 15 percent.

This move is reportedly linked to the increase in orders, particularly for data centers, AI accelerators, high-performance processors, and next-generation HBM memory solutions. It is stated that as demand rises, the capacity utilization rate in Samsung's factories has increased, which allows the company to leverage its production capacity at higher prices.

It has been known for a long time that Samsung has been trying to attract customers with price advantages in its advanced production processes. If the alleged price hike decision is implemented, it is considered that the company may undergo a partial change in this strategy. However, it is reported that the price increase may not be reflected to all customers at the same rate and could vary depending on order volume and existing agreements.

A 15 percent increase in wafer prices does not mean that smartphones, graphics cards, or other electronic products will directly increase in price by the same rate. Wafer cost constitutes only a portion of the total production cost of a final product. Nevertheless, the continued rise in production costs may create pressure on some product prices in the coming period.

This development is also seen as noteworthy in terms of the foundry competition between Samsung and TSMC. The increasing capacity requirement for AI chips may bring not only more powerful processors but also more costly production processes to the agenda in the coming period.

News Source: 12punto