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As transistors become smaller and smaller, silicon chips are approaching the limits of their manufacturing process. After 2 nanometers, materials like graphene and other carbon-based materials may take over. The three giants in advanced manufacturing, TSMC, Samsung, and Intel, are all launching their attacks to achieve mass production of 2-nanometer chips.

Recently, TSMC showcased the test results of its 2-nanometer prototype chips to its two major customers, Apple and Nvidia. Samsung announced a price reduction for its 2-nanometer prototype chips, trying to gain an edge. Intel, with the weakest current position but the loudest slogan, aims to "regain leadership" by 2025 as the only American company, making America great again.

"Samsung Electronics plans to catch up with TSMC and begin mass production of 2-nanometer chips by 2025." This was reported by the Korean Economic Daily in June 2023. At that time, Samsung held the "2023 Samsung Foundry Forum" in Silicon Valley, California, where they not only announced their timeline for mass production and application of 2-nanometer semiconductors, but also stated their plans to use the chips in high-performance computing products by 2026 and expand into the automotive field by 2027.

The mission to "surpass TSMC in five years" can be traced back to 2009. In a top-secret meeting of Samsung's highest management decision-making body, a plan called "Kill Taiwan" was approved, with TSMC as the primary target. By offering doubled salaries, Samsung managed to poach dozens of key personnel from TSMC, including the technological backbone, Liang Mengsong.
 
During that period, TSMC was not doing well. In 2006, Vice President of R&D, Shang-Yi Chiang, retired. After the mass production of 45-nanometer chips in 2007, the yield rate of 40-nanometer chips remained low, and coupled with the 2008 financial crisis, the semiconductor market significantly contracted. In 2009, TSMC's founder, Morris Chang, who had been retired for four years, decided to take back control of TSMC. He brought back Shang-Yi Chiang, who had retired three years earlier, and his first demand was to "quickly spend the newly added $1 billion on R&D funds."

Morris Chang's biggest concern was "old employee" Mengsong Liang, who had worked for 17 years at TSMC and was a student of Shang-Yi Chiang. Liang had long served as the director of advanced process technology at TSMC. In 2003, TSMC defeated IBM with its independently developed 130-nanometer "copper process," and Liang played a significant role, second only to Shang-Yi Chiang. Their rivalry continued at SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation).

Liang brought a large number of FinFET talents to Samsung, which rapidly closed the technology gap between Samsung and TSMC. Samsung, ahead of TSMC, was the first to achieve mass production of 14-nanometer chips and attracted major customers like Apple and Qualcomm. Morris Chang initiated the "Nightbird Project" and assembled a research and development team of more than 300 people, working around the clock to tackle the next-generation 10-nanometer process. Starting from 10-nanometer, TSMC gained an advantage again.

On June 30, 2022, Samsung announced the mass production of 3-nanometer chips, becoming the first in the world. Moreover, they adopted the GAAFET (Gate-All-Around Field Effect Transistor) process for the first time, replacing the mainstream FinFET structure. Compared to the latter, GAA structure can more accurately reduce leakage power consumption and lower power consumption. Over a month before the mass production of 3-nanometer chips, US President Biden had just visited Samsung's Pyeongtaek factory, located 70 kilometers south of Seoul. By showcasing the 3-nanometer chips to Biden, Samsung demonstrated its strength in "overtaking" TSMC.

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