Samsung Electronics plans to fully automate its semiconductor factories by 2030 using smart sensors to control the manufacturing process. The company aims to create an artificial intelligence fab that operates without human labor. Samsung is developing its own sensors and switching procurement from foreign to domestic suppliers to gain control of the technology. The technology will be applied to Samsung’s DRAM and NAND flash memory operations as well as its contract manufacturing operations. The goal is to catch up with Taiwan’s TSMC and stay ahead of Intel as die-shrinks progress. Samsung’s new sensors are small enough to fit on existing production lines, enabling the upgrade of current facilities while saving space. The company is preparing to build a new chip factory in Texas and plans to add five new production lines in South Korea by 2042. Samsung expects continued improvement in chip market conditions in 2024, which will help fund the automation of existing production lines and the construction of new AI-powered factories. AI is seen as both a productivity-enhancing tool and a new growth market for memory chip makers. The competition in the chip-making landscape is being reshaped by AI.
