According to ZDNET the company’s first-generation SF2 node is slated for production later this year, but insiders say its real fate in the bleeding-edge foundry race will be decided by the second-generation variant, SF2P.

Unlike the troubled 3nm start, Samsung has already locked down the basic design kits for SF2P and is actively courting both domestic and foreign customers. Performance improvements are listed at 12 per cent over SF2, with power cut by 25 per cent and chip area reduced by about eight per cent. Industry watchers say yield maturity is still some way off, but volume production is on track for 2026.

One of the headline wins is Tesla, which in July was reported to have signed a deal worth about ₩22 trillion (€14.8 billion) to have its AI6 processors built on Samsung’s 2nm GAA process. The AI6 will drive Tesla’s next-generation full self-driving kit, robotics, and data centre gear. Initial sampling is underway in Korea, with full production planned for Samsung’s new Taylor, Texas fab next year.

At the same time, domestic AI chip designers are lining up. DeepX has confirmed that it will use SF2P, working with Gaon Chips on its DX-M2 generative AI processor. The move underlines Samsung’s push to pull Korean fabless firms closer to its ecosystem.

The company intends to put its own silicon on SF2P. The Exynos 2600 is expected to be the first in-house SoC to roll off the line on the new node, giving Samsung a chance to showcase its process tech in mobile before Apple and TSMC dominate the conversation.

One industry insider bluntly noted that “SF2P is a process that determines the success or failure of Samsung Electronics’ cutting-edge foundry process, and is also closely related to its own mobile AP.”

TSMC is the only other foundry set to mass produce 2nm wafers next year, with Apple reportedly reserving nearly half of the initial capacity. That puts pressure on Samsung not just to deliver yields but to prove it can compete toe-to-toe with its long-time rival.

Looking further out, Samsung is already sketching the follow-up: SF2P+, the third-generation 2nm process planned within two years to keep the pipeline moving. With demand for 2nm expected to last at least four years, the company is desperate not to stumble again. It is starting to look like Samsung sees SF2P as a make-or-break chance to claw back credibility in the foundry wars.