July 13, 2026 /SemiMedia/ — Samsung Electronics has decided to raise foundry prices for selected manufacturing processes by about 15%, according to South Korean media reports.

The increases reportedly cover its high-demand 4nm and 5nm advanced nodes, as well as selected 8nm processes used for automotive chips.

The adjustment reflects changing pricing conditions in the global semiconductor foundry market as demand for AI chips continues to increase and advanced-node capacity becomes tighter.

In the past, chip designers typically negotiated capacity, order volumes and pricing with foundries based on forecasts for future products. Rapid growth in demand for AI accelerators, high-performance computing chips and networking processors has now given major foundries greater leverage in capacity allocation and price negotiations.

For chip customers, securing stable capacity and production priority in a tight advanced-node market may require higher manufacturing costs. Pricing, long-term order commitments, strategic product value and customer relationships are becoming increasingly important in foundry capacity allocation.

Samsung’s reported price increase is mainly focused on its 4nm and 5nm technologies, while also covering selected automotive 8nm products. These nodes are used in AI chips, high-performance processors, networking devices and automotive computing platforms.

Industry analysts said higher foundry prices reflect not only stronger demand, but also rising capital expenditure, equipment costs and research and development spending.

As process technologies become more advanced, foundries face higher costs for lithography equipment, process development, yield improvement and fab construction. Higher wafer prices can help manufacturers improve returns on these investments.

TSMC was also reported in June to be preparing foundry price increases of around 5% to 10%. The reported adjustment covered several manufacturing technologies, including 7nm and other advanced and mature nodes. TSMC has not confirmed specific price changes.

TSMC has previously said its pricing strategy is based on long-term strategic considerations rather than short-term gains, and that it will continue creating value through deeper customer cooperation.

With Samsung also reportedly raising prices, the trend suggests advanced-node foundries are increasingly using pricing to balance capacity demand and investment returns.

AI infrastructure spending is changing the order structure of the foundry market. AI processors typically require advanced manufacturing nodes, large wafer volumes, advanced packaging and high-bandwidth memory. Simultaneous growth across these areas is increasing pressure throughout the supply chain.

For chip designers, higher foundry prices could raise production costs for AI processors, server chips, automotive computing devices and high-end consumer electronics. Some customers may respond by signing long-term agreements, reserving capacity earlier or shifting selected products to alternative process nodes.