Foundry Wafer Price Comparison
Newest print Jan 2025Model run Feb 2026Reviewed annuallyCSV — newest observations; full series with a Pro keyAPIReference page: Semiconductor Wafer Pricing by Process Node (2026)
SMIC 28nm: $1,500/wafer (2025 (SMIC)) — Andy Lin blog (granitefirm.com), Jan 2025 (confirmed). Basis: list price.
Foundry Wafer Price Comparison — latest readings
7 observations across 7 series, 2023–2025.
| Series | Latest ($/wafer) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung 4nm (SF4)2023 | $15,000 | Our model estimateSilicon Analysts modelFeb 2026 |
| TSMC 4nm (N4)2024 | $18,500 | Morgan Stanley / TrendForce 2024Mar 2024 |
| Samsung 3nm (SF3E GAA)2024 | $15,500 | Deep ResearchMar 2026 |
| TSMC 3nm (N3E)2024 | $20,000 | Morgan Stanley / analyst consensus 2024Mar 2024 |
| TSMC 2nm (N2)2025 | $30,000 | EE Times Asia / HWCooling.net Nov 2025Nov 2025 |
| Samsung 2nm (SF2)2025 | $20,000 | SemiWikiOct 2025 |
| SMIC 28nm2025 (SMIC) | $1,500 | Andy Lin blog (granitefirm.com)Jan 2025 |
Side-by-side wafer price comparison across TSMC, Samsung, and SMIC at comparable nodes (4nm, 3nm, 2nm). Samsung undercuts TSMC by 20-33% at comparable EUV nodes, but yield-adjusted cost-per-good-die may still favor TSMC.
TSMC 2nm (N2): $30,000/wafer (2025), EE Times Asia / HWCooling.net Nov 2025
Source: Silicon Analysts model, Morgan Stanley / TrendForce 2024, Deep Research, Morgan Stanley / analyst consensus 2024, EE Times Asia / HWCooling.net Nov 2025, SemiWiki and 1 more · Basis: list price
Prints ledger
| Note and copy | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (SMIC) | SMIC 28nm | $1,500 | |||||
Source: Andy Lin blog (granitefirm.com), Jan 2025 · Basis: list price · Confirmed SMIC cut 28nm from $2,500 to $1,500 without warning — 40% drop. Shocked the industry. | |||||||
| 2025 | TSMC 2nm (N2) | $30,000$28,000–$33,000/wafer | |||||
Source: EE Times Asia / HWCooling.net Nov 2025, Nov 2025 · Basis: list price · Estimate TSMC N2. First node where cost-per-transistor increases vs prior node. | |||||||
| 2025 | Samsung 2nm (SF2) | $20,000 | |||||
Source: SemiWiki, Oct 2025 · Basis: list price · Estimate Samsung cuts 2nm to $20k, undercutting TSMC N2 by ~33%. | |||||||
| 2024 | TSMC 3nm (N3E) | $20,000$18,500–$22,000/wafer | |||||
Source: Morgan Stanley / analyst consensus 2024, Mar 2024 · Basis: list price · Confirmed TSMC N3E. The baseline for Samsung SF3E GAA comparison. | |||||||
| 2024 | Samsung 3nm (SF3E GAA) | $15,500$15,000–$16,000/wafer | |||||
Source: Deep Research, Mar 2026 · Basis: list price · Estimate GAA node launched mid-2022 with <20% yield. Significant pricing incentives offered. | |||||||
| 2024 | TSMC 4nm (N4) | $18,500$16,000–$21,000/wafer | |||||
Source: Morgan Stanley / TrendForce 2024, Mar 2024 · Basis: list price · Confirmed TSMC N4/N4P. The baseline for Samsung SF4 comparison. | |||||||
| 2023 | Samsung 4nm (SF4)Our model estimate | $15,000$14,000–$16,000/wafer | |||||
Source: Silicon Analysts, Feb 2026 · Basis: list price · Estimate 20–33% below TSMC N4. Yield issues required pricing incentives. | |||||||
Provenance
TSMC figures: analyst consensus. Samsung: inferred 20–33% discount vs TSMC. SMIC: Andy Lin blog (Jan 2025 28nm cut confirmed).
Basis: list price
Quoted per-wafer price before negotiated discounts, compared across foundries. Samsung figures are an inferred 20-33% discount to TSMC, not observed prints.
Sources
- Morgan Stanley / TrendForce 2024 (Mar 2024)
- Deep Research (Mar 2026)
- Morgan Stanley / analyst consensus 2024 (Mar 2024)
- EE Times Asia / HWCooling.net Nov 2025 (Nov 2025)
- SemiWiki (Oct 2025)
- Andy Lin blog (granitefirm.com) (Jan 2025)
Our derivations
- Silicon Analysts (Feb 2026)
Suggested citation
Silicon Analysts, "Foundry Wafer Price Comparison", as of Jan 2025, https://siliconanalysts.com/market-data/wafer-price-comparison, retrieved October 13, 2026.
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