Key information
AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su reportedly met with Samsung chip chief Jun Young-hyun in Seoul on October 7th. The three-hour discussion allegedly centered on a potential trade-off where Samsung would provide critical High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) in exchange for AMD foundry orders. Neither company has officially confirmed these specific negotiations.
While Samsung seeks to secure foundry business, industry sources suggest AMD remains hesitant to utilize Samsung's manufacturing services due to perceived risks. Dr. Su maintained a diplomatic stance during public remarks, stating that AMD is exploring various opportunities with Samsung regarding both memory and foundry capabilities without confirming any concrete manufacturing plans.
The companies previously signed a memorandum of understanding in March designating Samsung as the primary HBM4 supplier for the Instinct MI455X. Despite this, no foundry contracts have been finalized. Currently, AMD's EPYC Venice processors are utilizing TSMC's 2 nm process, leaving the future of Samsung's foundry involvement uncertain.
Samsung may hold leverage in these discussions as the semiconductor industry anticipates memory shortages persisting until 2030. Dr. Su has emphasized the urgent need for faster memory production to meet demand, though it remains unclear if or when AMD will shift any product manufacturing to Samsung's foundry facilities.
