[Samsung Electronics' Foundry Business Expected to Operate at Full Capacity This Year, Moving Toward Profitability] BlockBeats News, August 3: According to a report by *The Chosun Ilbo*, Samsung Electronics' foundry business is expected to achieve 100% capacity utilization in the second half of this year, ending a prolonged slump and potentially reaching a turning point for profitability. Currently, Samsung's foundry capacity utilization rate is around 70%-80%, driven by increased demand for HBM4 base chips, growth in orders from major U.S. tech companies, and rising demand for 2nm process technology. Industry insiders predict that the goal of full-capacity operation is highly achievable. Previously, Samsung faced prolonged capacity utilization rates below 50% for mature processes such as 4nm and 5nm, which exacerbated fixed cost pressures and led to sustained losses. With the recovery in demand for advanced processes, particularly orders related to AI and high-performance computing (HPC), the improvement in capacity utilization is expected to be a key factor in enhancing profitability. Samsung is also actively diversifying its customer base, with ongoing discussions for collaborations with companies such as Qualcomm, AMD, Google, and Tesla. Meanwhile, improving the yield rate of the 2nm process remains a critical variable. Current market estimates place Samsung's 2nm yield rate at approximately 60%, and whether it can be increased to over 70% will determine whether large-scale production orders from major clients can materialize. Samsung expects revenue from advanced processes to account for more than 50% of its total foundry revenue this year, with the proportion of AI and HPC-related business rising from about 10% in the latter half of last year to over 30%. The company also plans to advance the construction of its Taylor, Texas, plant in the U.S. and prepare for the expansion of its 1.4nm process in the future. In a previous earnings call, Samsung stated that capacity utilization across all process nodes has improved compared to last year, with advanced processes below 8nm nearing maximum levels. The company also expects the volume of 2nm project orders to more than double year-over-year in 2023. Market analysts believe that Samsung's non-memory chip business could achieve profitability as early as the third quarter of this year, or by the fourth quarter at the latest. [Original Article Link]