Samsung's packaging gap clouds chip comeback as TSMC, Intel push ahead - digitimes

Samsung Electronics is reclaiming market share in high-bandwidth memory and foundry services, but advanced packaging remains a critical weakness in its efforts to capture a larger portion of the AI ch... Read original →

Samsung’s gains in HBM and foundry mask a critical gap in advanced packaging—a structural vulnerability as AI chips demand tighter integration via 2.5D/3D stacking, silicon interposers, and chiplet architectures. TSMC (Taiwan, China) leverages CoWoS, while Intel advances Foveros, turning packaging into a performance differentiator that Samsung lacks. This deficit directly undermines system-level efficiency for AI accelerators, increasing power and cost for clients. With U.S. and EU subsidies accelerating local advanced packaging ecosystems, Samsung risks exclusion from the AI supply chain core unless it rapidly closes the gap—likely through M&A or licensing. Within 12–24 months, packaging capability will become a de facto gatekeeper for foundry leadership; without it, Samsung’s AI ambitions may stall at the periphery.