Samsung Electronics, Korea, announces that mass production has begun at its new cutting-edge semiconductor fabrication line in Hwaseong, Korea, to produce chips using a process node of 7 nanometers and below. The facility, called V1, is Samsung’s first semiconductor production line dedicated to the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology.
The V1 line broke ground in February 2018, and began test wafer production in the second half of 2019. Its first products will be delivered to customers in the first quarter. The V1 line is currently producing state-of-the-art mobile chips with 7nm and 6nm process technology, and will continue to adopt finer circuitry up to the 3nm process node.
By the end of 2020, the cumulative total investment in the V1 line will reach $6 billion, in accordance with Samsung’s plan. Total capacity from 7nm and below process node is expected to triple from that of 2019. Together with the S3 line, the V1 line is expected to play a pivotal role in responding to fast-growing global market demand for single-digit node foundry technologies.
With the V1 line in operation, Samsung now has a total of six foundry production lines in South Korea and the United States, including five 12-inch lines and one 8-inch line.
