Pure-play leading-edge logic foundries (sub-5 nm)
BOTTLENECKTSMC alone runs sub-5 nm logic at scale, locking AI-chip customers into multi-year supply deals with no qualified second source until at least the late 2020s.
Contract fabs manufacturing at 3 nm, 2 nm, and below with gate-all-around transistor architectures. Sole commercial source for the most advanced AI processors through approximately 2027. TSMC holds near-monopoly pricing power and locks customers into long-term supply agreements.
What the evidence shows
TSMC holds ~90%-plus share of sub-5nm logic where the entire AI profit pool sits.
investmentcase.substack.comDemand for leading-edge nodes currently exceeds supply by a wide margin.
semiengineering.comSamsung offers 3nm GAA with a roadmap to 2nm and high-volume EUV capacity, evaluated as a strategic second source.
latterly.orgWho controls it
No independently verified market-size figure is published for this node yet.
Where it sits in the stack
Takes in: Fabless/IDM chip design, PDKs, photomasks, EUV-exposed wafers
Sends on: Leading-edge logic wafer with complete transistor stack; wafer-sorted known-good die
19 upstream · 4 downstream
Related nodes
Full scorecard, owner shares, supply edges and the full tracked roster are in the desk letter.
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