August 20, 2026 / SemiMedia / — Samsung Electronics has raised prices for new orders on selected advanced foundry processes by as much as 15% as AI chip demand tightens available capacity, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Samsung increased pricing for its 4nm SF4 process in July. Prices for customers in China and the United States rose between 10% and 15% from the previous month, while customers in Taiwan received increases of 5% to 10%, according to the report.

Wafer prices for Samsung’s 5nm SF5 process increased by 10% to 15%, while pricing for the company’s more mature 8nm technology rose by nearly 10%.

Samsung declined to comment on the reported increases, saying it does not disclose details of operational matters.

Demand from Chinese customers has been particularly strong, with some accepting the largest increases. Samsung has been unable to accommodate all requested orders because it must also allocate capacity to US customers and reserve production for its own semiconductor products.

Samsung’s SF4 production line at its Pyeongtaek facility in South Korea has reportedly operated at full capacity since late 2025. The line manufactures logic chips for external customers including Qualcomm and produces base dies used in Samsung’s multi-layer HBM products.

Strong AI chip demand has filled much of TSMC’s advanced-node capacity, creating additional opportunities for competing foundries. Counterpoint estimates that Samsung held approximately 7% of global foundry revenue in the first quarter of 2026, compared with more than 70% for TSMC.

Samsung expects advanced processes to account for more than half of its foundry revenue this year. The revenue contribution from AI and high-performance computing applications is projected to exceed 30%, up from between 15% and 20% in late 2025.

Google is also reportedly discussing the use of Samsung’s SF4 process for future chips. The talks have not been confirmed as a production agreement, and Google has not commented publicly.

Samsung previously said higher factory utilization, improved production yields and firmer pricing could help its foundry business return to profitability in the near future. The reported increases across SF4, SF5 and 8nm indicate that tighter capacity is strengthening pricing conditions beyond a single process generation.