Samsung prepares to license advanced thermal management technology to competitors in the mobile chip market.
The South Korean company announced plans to offer its Heat Path Block (HPB) solution to external customers, including Apple and Qualcomm.
This strategy aims to strengthen Samsung’s foundry division, which seeks to recover share lost to TSMC in advanced processes.
HPB will first be integrated into the Exynos 2600, a 2nm node processor expected for flagship devices in 2026.
How HPB technology works
The solution consists of a miniaturized heat sink made of copper.
It is positioned directly over the application processor, replacing the previous positioning of DRAM memory.
The DRAM now sits next to the main chip.
This configuration allows direct contact between the heatsink and the processor cores.
Advantages observed in tests
Internal tests indicate a reduction of up to 30% in the average chip temperature compared to previous generations.
The improvement contributes to maintaining sustained performance under intense loads, such as games and AI tasks.
The Exynos 2600 recorded significant gains in thermal efficiency.
These results position the chip as competitive compared to solutions from Qualcomm and Apple.
Samsung market strategy
HPB’s offer to third parties represents a change in the semiconductor division’s business model.
Apple has used TSMC for A-series chips since 2016.
Qualcomm migrated production of Snapdragon to the Taiwanese competitor from 2022.
Samsung sees opportunity in growing demands for thermal management in advanced nodes.
- Reduced thermal throttling on high-performance processors.
- Improved peak performance duration on mobile devices.
- Increased overall power efficiency of the chip package.
Initial application on Exynos 2600
The Exynos 2600 adopts 2nm process with GAA transistors.
HPB integration complements existing vapor chambers in smartphones.
The technology does not replace traditional cooling systems.
It works together to optimize heat dissipation in the encapsulation.
Outlook for the mobile sector
Manufacturers face increasing challenges with heat in more powerful chips.
Integrated package solutions gain importance for nodes below 3 nm.
The Samsung initiative could influence future mobile processor designs.
Demand for similar technologies is already appearing among internal and external customers.
HPB positions the South Korean foundry as a provider of advanced packaging innovations.
Encapsulation technical details
The copper block facilitates rapid heat transfer out of the package.
Relocating DRAM avoids blocking thermal paths.
Tests validated gains in multi-core and prolonged workloads.
The solution maintains compatibility with existing Fan-Out Wafer Level packaging.
Competition in the foundry market
TSMC dominates advanced chip production for Apple and Qualcomm.
Samsung seeks to win back orders with proprietary packaging and process combinations.
The Exynos 2600 serves as a practical demonstration of 2nm capabilities.
Positive results could attract new contracts for the SF2 production line.
