South Korean tech company will produce carmakers next-generation semiconductors at new plant in Texas
Samsung has agreed a $16.5bn (0512.3bn) deal to manufacture artificial intelligence chips for Tesla , in a move hailed by Elon Musk on Monday.
The South Korean tech company announced the contract with an unnamed client in a regulatory filing, with Teslas chief executive giving further details on his social media platform, X.
Musk wrote that Samsung would produce Teslas next-generation A16 chips at a new plant in Texas.
The strategic importance of this is hard to overstate, he wrote.
In December, the Biden administration announced $4.75bn in funding for Samsungs semiconductor manufacturing facilities in Texas under the Chips Act , legislation aimed at making the US more self-sufficient in chip manufacturing. At the time, the then US commerce secretary, Gina Raimondo, said the funding would ensure the country had a steady stream of chips essential to AI and national security.
In a post on X on Monday, Musk said Samsung had agree to allow Tesla to assist in maximising manufacturing efficiency and he would walk the [manufacturing] line personally to accelerate the pace of progress.
He added that the Samsung plant in Taylor, outside Austin, Texas , was conveniently located not far from my house.
The deal will help re-energise a project faced long delays amid Samsungs difficulties in retaining and attracting big clients. Ryu Young-ho, a senior analyst at Seoul-based NH Investment & Securities, said the Taylor plant so far had virtually no customers, making the deal quite meaningful.
In October, Reuters reported that Samsung had postponed taking deliveries of chip-making equipment from ASML, a Dutch manufacturer , for the Texas site as it had not yet won any significant customers for the project. It has already delayed the plants operational start to 2026.
Samsung makes Teslas AI4 chips, which power the carmakers full self-driving driver assistant system. Taiwans TSMC is slated to make the AI5 chips for Tesla, initially in Taiwan and then Arizona, Musk has said.
The regulatory filing by Samsung announcing the chip supply agreement did not name the client, saying the customer had requested confidentiality about the details of the deal, which will run through the end of 2033.
Samsung has been approached for comment.
Reuters contributed to this article
韩国科技公司将在德克萨斯州新工厂为汽车制造商生产下一代半导体
三星已达成一项价值165亿美元（约合123亿英镑）的协议，为特斯拉生产人工智能芯片。埃隆·马斯克于本周一对此举表示赞赏。
这家韩国科技公司在监管文件中宣布与一位未具名客户达成合约，特斯拉首席执行官随后在其社交媒体平台X上披露了更多细节。
马斯克（Musk）表示，三星（Samsung）将在德克萨斯州的新工厂为特斯拉（Tesla）生产下一代A16芯片。
他写道：“这一战略意义再怎么强调也不为过。”
去年12月，拜登政府根据《芯片法案》宣布向三星在德克萨斯州的半导体制造设施提供47.5亿美元资金，该法案旨在提升美国芯片制造的自给能力。时任美国商务部长吉娜·雷蒙多表示，这笔资金将确保美国获得对人工智能和国家安全至关重要的芯片"稳定供应"。
马斯克周一在社交平台X上发帖称，三星已同意让特斯拉协助其“实现制造效率最大化”，并表示将“亲自巡视[制造]生产线以加快进度”。
他补充说，三星电子位于得克萨斯州奥斯汀市郊泰勒镇的工厂“地理位置便利，离我家不远”。
这项协议将有助于重振一个因三星难以留住和吸引大客户而长期延误的项目。总部位于首尔的NH投资证券高级分析师柳永浩（Ryu Young-ho）表示，泰勒工厂“迄今几乎没有客户”，使得这笔交易“意义重大”。
路透社10月报道称，由于尚未为该芯片项目争取到重要客户，三星电子已推迟接收荷兰制造商阿斯麦（ASML）为得克萨斯州工厂提供的芯片制造设备，并将该工厂投产时间延后至2026年。
三星为特斯拉生产AI4芯片，该芯片为这家汽车制造商的完全自动驾驶辅助系统提供动力。马斯克表示，台湾的台积电将为特斯拉生产AI5芯片，初期在台湾生产，随后转至美国亚利桑那州。
三星在宣布芯片供应协议的监管文件中未透露客户名称，并表示该客户要求对交易细节保密。该协议将持续至2033年底。
三星公司已被联系以征求评论。
路透社对本文亦有贡献
全部评论 （0）