Exclusive: Mass production at Samsung’s Taylor plant slated to begin in 2027

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Exclusive: Mass production at Samsung’s Taylor plant slated to begin in 2027

Published: 03 Mar. 2026, 05:00 Updated: 04 Mar. 2026, 15:29

LEE JAE-LIM
[email protected]

PARK EUN-JEE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

An aerial view of Samsung Electronics' Taylor site under construction. [TAYLOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION]

Samsung Electronics' plant in Taylor, Texas, will start mass production from early next year, according to multiple sources in the local chip industry, with operations fully ready for pilot production by the end of this year.

“The schedule has continued to shift, and it is now understood that a full-scale ramp-up for a meaningful volume output could be pushed to early next year,” a source familiar with developments told the Korea JoongAng Daily.

Previously, multiple local news outlets reported that mass production would begin by the end of this year.

Another source at a semiconductor materials firm corroborated the 2027 timeline.

“The plant has begun pilot operations,” the source said. “The timeline appears to shift frequently, and there is no clear start-of-production milestone.”

The start of pilot production refers to the stage before a full-scale ramp-up to deliver substantial output to clients, when sample chips are produced at the factory.

Both a Samsung spokesperson and an executive at its foundry business maintained that the plant's operational schedule is proceeding as planned.

"The Taylor fab in the United States is under construction as planned, aiming for the timely commencement of operations this year," said Kang Suk-chae, executive vice president of Samsung Foundry, in a January conference call.

A Samsung Electronics spokesperson clarified that references to the plant's 2026 operational readiness refer to the completion of preparations for mass manufacturing by the end of this year.

“The plant will be ready to be operational by then,” the spokesperson said.

Samsung also projected on-year growth in 2-nanometer orders of more than 130 percent this year, driven by the production of high-performance computing and AI chips on its second-generation 2-nanometer process in 2026.

The 2-nanometer process is to be developed at both the Taylor site and its Pyeongtaek campus in Gyeonggi, but facilities at the Korean site are still under construction, and those originally planned as a foundry line have since been switched to focus on expanding memory production to meet surging AI-driven demand.

Analysts believe that the large-scale production of Samsung's SF2P will mainly take place at the Taylor site due primarily to better accessibility to major target clients, while the Korean facilities are responsible for sample production in the early stage.

Multiple reports said that Samsung Foundry is in talks to secure major orders from Big Tech firms including Google, AMD and more recently, ByteDance.

A view of Samsung's Taylor foundry plant under construction [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

Confidence in the 2026 mass production timeline strengthened after the company secured a $16.5 billion contract in July of last year to manufacture AI6 chips for Tesla, with CEO Elon Musk later saying during Tesla's October conference call that the chipmaker would produce a portion of AI5 chips as well.

Musk also previously stated on X that mass production of the AI5 chip is expected around mid-2027.

Samsung has already begun limited activities at the site after acquiring a temporary certificate of occupancy from the city of Taylor covering approximately 88,000 square feet at Fab 1. Trial operations, including tests of its extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment, are reportedly set to begin this month.

First announced in November 2021, the Taylor project has faced multiple delays, prompting the Texan city to add a clause on stricter timeline checkpoints to keep construction on track, setting a goal for Samsung to complete a total of 6 million square feet by 2026, with an additional 1 million square feet to be added by 2028.

A screen capture of Samsung Electronics' career site for Taylor location, which is hiring 180 positions that are accepting applications until end of 2026. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

Signs of progress are emerging: The company has recently opened 180 job positions at the site, spanning facilities and infrastructure build-out, tool installation and equipment readiness, as well as yield engineering and manufacturing support. Applications for these roles will be accepted through Dec. 31.

A third source told the Korea JoongAng Daily that a clearer production road map could emerge by June.

“Based on public information, the facility itself is not particularly large — roughly half the size of one of Samsung’s Pyeongtaek lines — and it is dedicated entirely to foundry production,” the source said. “Regardless of the pace of ramp-up, major equipment installations are anticipated around March or April.”

Updated, March 3, 2026: Added a quote from Samsung Electronics.
Updated, March 4, 2026: Details updated to reflect additional comments from sources.

BY LEE JAE-LIM,PARK EUN-JEE [[email protected]]