# Samsung bets on a memory-plus-foundry dual engine as Tesla and Nvidia knock
> Seoul bilateral yields HBM4E samples and LP40 foundry talks; Tesla A16 to be built at Taylor, Texas; Samsung pins HBM5 comeback on an in-house 2nm base die

**Meta:** type: story · date: 2026-06-09 · heads: L'argent de qui, Le jeu long · 7 takes · 3 lenses · 4 regions

## Summary

[Samsung Electronics](/fr/entity/samsung) is building a "dual-engine" model, [memory](/fr/entity/hbm) and [foundry](/fr/entity/samsung)
both driving earnings, to recover ground lost to [SK Hynix](/fr/entity/sk-hynix) in the AI cycle. A June 8 Seoul
bilateral with [Nvidia](/fr/entity/nvidia) put HBM4E samples in Nvidia's hands, sketched a roadmap through HBM5,
and opened talks for Samsung Foundry to build Nvidia's next-gen Groq LP40 chip. On the foundry side,
overflow from [TSMC's](/fr/entity/tsmc) strained capacity has brought Nvidia, [Tesla](/fr/entity/tesla) and Qualcomm: Tesla's
A15 is dual-sourced (Samsung + TSMC) and the A16 reportedly goes exclusively to Samsung's Taylor, Texas
fab. Samsung's HBM3e struggled through 2025, a base-die redesign won qual only for select China-market
accelerators, and it pins an HBM5 comeback on being first to demo the architecture with an in-house
2nm base die.

## By the numbers

- June 8, Seoul Samsung-Nvidia bilateral; HBM4E samples delivered, HBM5 roadmap discussed.
- ~25-30%, Samsung's estimated share of Nvidia Rubin HBM4 (behind SK Hynix's ~60-70%).
- A16, Tesla's next-gen chip, reportedly exclusive to Samsung's Taylor, Texas fab.
- 2nm, node for Samsung's planned in-house HBM5 base die.
- ~$73B, reported scale of Samsung's 2026 semiconductor investment.

## Why it matters

Samsung is the only company that is both a top-three memory maker and a leading-edge foundry, the
dual engine is its structural advantage if it can execute. Winning Nvidia foundry work and an exclusive
Tesla node would offset the HBM share it ceded to SK Hynix. The HBM5 base-die bet decides whether the
Rubin-generation gap is cyclical or permanent.

## What to watch

- Whether HBM4E qualifies for Rubin and lifts Samsung's allocation.
- The Nvidia LP40 foundry decision and Tesla A16 ramp at Taylor.
- HBM5 first-mover claims and 2nm base-die yields.

## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens)

### unlabelled
- **Seoul Economic Daily** (South Korea, ko) — Korean financial daily's account of Samsung's 'dual-engine' strategy, memory and foundry both driving earnings, as Tesla, Nvidia and Apple line up as foundry clients. The originating frame for the comeback thesis.
  Source: https://en.sedaily.com/finance/2026/05/06/samsung-builds-memory-foundry-dual-engine-as-tesla-nvidia
- **KED Global** (South Korea, ko) — 
  Source: https://www.kedglobal.com/earnings/newsView/ked202510300005
- **Silicon Analysts** (United States, en) — 
  Source: https://siliconanalysts.com/analysis/hbm-qualification-race-2022-2026
- **tech-insider.org** (Global, en) — 
  Source: https://tech-insider.org/samsung-73-billion-semiconductor-investment-2026/
- **TrendForce** (Taiwan, en) — 
  Source: https://www.trendforce.com/news/2025/12/01/news-samsung-reportedly-supplies-60-of-google-tpu-hbm3e-set-to-remain-primary-supplier-in-2026/

### industry desk
- **TechTimes** (United States, en) — Reports the June 8 Seoul bilateral: HBM4E samples already at Nvidia, a roadmap through HBM5, and talks for Samsung Foundry to build Nvidia's next-gen Groq LP40 chip. Frames it as Samsung trying to convert foundry access into the HBM share it lost to SK Hynix in the Rubin generation.
  > "Samsung pursues Nvidia HBM4E supply and LP40 foundry work after a Seoul bilateral, trying to convert foundry access into lost HBM share."
  Source: https://www.techtimes.com/articles/318015/20260609/samsung-pursues-nvidia-hbm4e-supply-lp40-foundry-work-after-seoul-bilateral.htm

### hardware press
- **TechSpot** (United States, en) — Reports Samsung Foundry winning Nvidia, Tesla and Qualcomm work as TSMC's capacity strains, with Tesla's A15 dual-sourced (Samsung + TSMC) and the A16 reportedly exclusive to Samsung's Taylor, Texas fab. Reads it as overflow demand finally giving Samsung's long-struggling foundry a credible client book.
  > "Samsung's foundry is booming as TSMC strains on demand, bagging Nvidia, Tesla and Qualcomm; Tesla's A16 goes exclusively to Samsung's Texas fab."
  Source: https://www.techspot.com/news/112800-samsung-foundry-booming-tsmc-struggles-demand-bags-nvidia.html

## Across the graph
- Related: [[nvidia-vera-rubin-hbm4-allocation]], [[sk-hynix-samsung-market-cap-flip]], [[tsmc-arizona-acceleration-2026]]
- Entities: Samsung, South Korea, Nvidia, Tesla, Hbm

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Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/fr/n/samsung-foundry-memory-dual-engine-2026