Samsung’s Texas chip plant is reportedly delayed because of lack of consumers

Samsung has reportedly pushed again the completion of its semiconductor plant in Taylor, Texas, as a result of it has no prospects. In keeping with Nikkei Asia, the corporate is in no hurry to put in tools within the facility because of lack of purchasers and though the ability is over 90 p.c performed. The manufacturing unit was supposed to return on-line in 2024, however the firm has since pushed again its opening date to someday in 2026 to improve its foundry course of. Samsung’s fab was solely supposed to have the ability to manufacture 4-nanometer chipsets, however the firm adjusted its plans to provide it the aptitude to fabricate extra superior 2-nanometer chips to have the ability to compete with rivals like TSMC. Nonetheless, the issue persevered.

When you’ll recall, the plant in Taylor is a part of Samsung’s deliberate $44 billion investment in Texas. When the Biden administration announced that it was giving Samsung as much as $6.4 billion in grants as a part of the CHIPS Act funding, the corporate mentioned that the cash was going to be spent ending up the campus in Taylor. However the facility’s improvement has been troubled for fairly some time now. Final 12 months, Reuters reported that Samsung had delayed the deliveries of advanced-chipmaking tools from ASML to its Taylor facility, because it had but to enroll any main buyer for the plant.

When Samsung minimize jobs around the globe final 12 months, some jobs from its Texas operations have been reportedly also cut because of manufacturing delays. And it is not simply the corporate’s staff who have been affected by the delays: Samsung’s suppliers, a few of that are small companies, are additionally impacted and have needed to search for different prospects whereas the ability’s completion is on maintain. Whereas Samsung has assured Nikkei Asia that it is nonetheless planning to open the fab in 2026, analysts beforehand known as that into query seeing because it has but to land quantity purchasers. In reality, South Korean publication The Elec claimed in April that Samsung is now targeting a February 2027 opening date as an alternative of someday in 2026. The publication mentioned that along with the dearth of consumers, Samsung’s contractors had additionally pulled out of the venture and its on-site workforce is now a fourth of its authentic measurement.