According to Korean semiconductor media THE ELEC on November 2, Samsung Electronics has decided to fully exit the 8-inch wafer foundry business and has notified relevant customers. Under the disclosed timeline, Samsung will shut all 8-inch foundry lines by end-2030, concentrating resources further on 12-inch wafer manufacturing. This means Samsung is not just trimming mature-node capacity but preparing to exit the 8-inch foundry market entirely.
The exit plan had early signs. In early 2026, Samsung decided to close the S7 8-inch fab in Giheung, Korea, targeting completion by year-end, while S6 and S8 8-inch lines remain operational. In April, Samsung management said on the Q1 earnings call it would gradually shut 8-inch lines used for power semiconductors, display driver ICs, and image sensors. Samsung reportedly stopped accepting new 8-inch foundry orders in 2026. Its 8-inch foundry processes cover 65nm, 70nm, 90nm, 130nm, and 180nm mature nodes, mainly serving power management chips, display driver chips, microcontrollers, and image sensors.
Samsung is not the only top player adjusting 8-inch business. Taiwan's Economic Daily News reported in February 2026 that TSMC plans to gradually transfer about 80% of its 8-inch foundry capacity to affiliate VIS. TSMC's 8-inch annual output is about 5 million wafers, with about 4 million wafers involved in the transfer, potentially via order migration, equipment transfer, and technology cooperation; actual progress awaits company disclosure. Unlike Samsung's full exit, TSMC chose to have a specialty mature-node foundry take over some business; VIS has long specialized in 8-inch foundry with bases in Taiwan and Singapore.
The most directly affected are chip designers relying on Samsung's mature processes. Per THE ELEC, Korean fabless firms including Imagis, ABOV Semiconductor, Dongwoon Anatech, Silicon Mitus, and LX Semicon are in Samsung's 8-inch foundry supply chain and need new manufacturing partners within years. Foundry orders cannot shift by simply swapping suppliers: analog chips, power management chips, and high-voltage devices often depend on specific processes, device models, and long-qualified product certification. Even at the same 180nm or 130nm, process platforms differ across fabs. Korea's domestic 8-inch capacity is tight; mature-node fabs like DB HiTek and SK Keyfoundry may not immediately absorb all orders Samsung releases.
For SMIC, Hua Hong, and other mainland Chinese fabs with 8-inch mature-node capability, overseas customer supply chain adjustments may bring potential demand. But orders may not flow to mainland China—some international customers have manufacturing location requirements, and process compatibility, utilization, cost, and certification cycles affect choices. The real opportunity lies not just in having 8-inch capacity but in offering mature, stable specialty process platforms that meet customer requirements.
8-inch wafers will not disappear. While advanced logic has fully moved to 12-inch, 8-inch remains widely used in power management, analog chips, display drivers, MCUs, and some power semiconductors, where cost, process maturity, device performance, and long-term supply often matter more than advanced nodes. As AI data center buildout accelerates, server power management, control, and companion chips may bring new growth for mature processes.
ICgoodFind Summary: Samsung plans to fully exit 8-inch foundry by end-2030, while TSMC shifts some capacity to VIS. Both moves point to one trend: mature processes are shifting from a side business of top players to the specialty domain of dedicated foundries. Samsung's released orders [content truncated]
