Samsung is set to begin mass production of its 1.4 nm node in 2029, according to recent reports from South Korean media outlet The Bell. Initially, Samsung aimed for mass production in 2028, but this has been postponed to 2029 due to the expanding manufacturing capacity of the 2 nm SF2 and its derivative process, the SF2P node. This timeline aligns with the rest of the industry's targets for similar node high-volume manufacturing. Intel, for example, plans to start risk production of its 14A node in 2028, with high-volume production slated for 2029. As a result, we can expect more competitive silicon manufacturing by the end of the decade, offering better alternatives for TSMC customers. TSMC plans to begin mass production of its A14 node in 2028, which will still give it a slight time advantage over Samsung and Intel.

Additionally, it is known that Samsung is exploring High-NA EUV lithography for its 1.4 nm node, marking the company's first transition from Low-NA EUV tools in a new manufacturing process. The company has been engaging with numerous domestic suppliers as well as international toolmakers like Applied Materials and Lam Research to obtain tools for its NRD-K R&D hub for semiconductors.Earlier, we learned that ASML is expected to deliver about seven High-NA EUV units to Samsung by the end of 2027, significantly boosting Samsung Foundry's wafer output capacity for the 1.4 nm node. Each High-NA EUV tool can process between 175-200 wafers per hour, potentially allowing monthly output to exceed 100,000 wafers. This assumes the fabs operate at full capacity around the clock, which is unlikely. However, we can assume there will be sufficient capacity, and Samsung will continue to supply its Foundry customers with the SF2 node and its variants in the meantime.