TSMC's reluctance to transfer its most advanced technology to the United States has opened up a window of opportunity for Samsung. Samsung's factory in Taylor, Texas, is on the verge of commencing production, with ASML having already installed and commissioned extreme ultraviolet lithography machines. The production strategy for this factory has undergone a significant shift: instead of expanding 4nm chip capacity, it will now adopt the cutting-edge 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process. The monthly wafer production capacity target has been revised upwards, from 20,000 wafers to 50,000 wafers, with projections indicating a potential increase to 100,000 wafers per month by 2027.

This strategic pivot is bolstered by the $16.5 billion cooperation agreement inked between Samsung and Tesla. Under this agreement, Samsung will be responsible for manufacturing Tesla's next-generation autonomous driving chip, AI6. Moreover, the Taylor factory is poised to emerge as a pivotal production hub for the second-generation 2nm GAA process. Currently, Samsung has finalized the foundational design of the second-generation 2nm process. Additionally, the development of the third-generation 2nm GAA process, SF2P+, is well underway, with expectations of it being deployed within the next two years, thereby intensifying Samsung's pursuit of TSMC.