Samsung Foundry Order Backlog Nears 50 Trillion Won as Meta and Anthropic Bet on 2nm
Taylor Wilson
Samsung's foundry backlog has climbed to nearly 50 trillion won, with Meta and Anthropic lining up custom AI chip orders on its 2nm process — fueling expectations the unit could turn profitable as early as Q4 this year.
Where is the 50-trillion-won backlog coming from?
Samsung Foundry's medium-to-long-term order backlog is approaching 50 trillion won, anchored by its most advanced 2nm process node.
The ramp accelerated after Samsung won Tesla's AI chip contract last year, opening a pipeline of AI-server semiconductor orders.
This means → Samsung's foundry is no longer a fallback option; AI chip clients are actively shifting volume production its way.
Why is Meta moving from TSMC to Samsung?
Meta's custom AI accelerator MTIA was fabbed at TSMC for its first two generations, but Samsung is now locked in as the core manufacturing partner from generation three onward.
MTIA Gen 3 will use Samsung's 2nm node at a scale of hundreds of thousands of wafers, in a deal valued at over 10 trillion won.
In plain terms = Meta plans to build 5 GW of data-center capacity by 2030 and iterate a new chip every six months — TSMC's capacity is already tight, so a second supply line is a necessity.
To match that pace, Meta has set up a joint-design mechanism with Samsung's System LSI division, collaborating from the earliest stages of chip architecture.
What does Anthropic want from Samsung?
Anthropic is evaluating Samsung's 2nm process for a custom AI chip, aiming to reduce dependence on Nvidia GPUs and Google TPUs.
Its long-term plan calls for roughly 1 GW of self-built AI data-center capacity, with total investment around $50 billion — about $25 billion of which would go to semiconductor procurement.
This means → Anthropic does not want its compute lifeline riding on one or two suppliers; custom silicon is a critical step toward infrastructure independence.
Samsung's integrated capability across memory, foundry, and advanced packaging makes it the biggest potential beneficiary. In May, Samsung joined Anthropic's $65 billion Series H round, formalizing the strategic relationship.
Can this order surge translate into profit?
The market expects Samsung Foundry to break even as early as Q4 this year.
The key variable is how fast yields ramp on the 2nm node — a full order book means nothing if production yields cannot keep up.
In plain terms = Samsung has the orders; the question is whether it can deliver. A Q4 turnaround will be the first hard test of its real foundry competitiveness.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.