Samsung Develops World’s Smallest 3D Transistors with 42nm Gate Pitch

• June 18, 2026

Samsung has reached a significant breakthrough in semiconductor technology by developing the smallest transistors globally designed for three-dimensional (3D) integration. This advancement addresses long-standing challenges in chip miniaturization and signals progress toward more compact and efficient logic semiconductors.

Advancing 3D Semiconductor Structures

The engineering team at Samsung successfully built transistors featuring an unprecedented gate pitch of 42 nanometers (nm) while utilizing a multilayer, 3D structural design. This innovation represents a pivotal step in moving beyond traditional two-dimensional chip layouts, which face physical and technological limitations as transistor sizes shrink.

By stacking transistor components vertically, Samsung’s approach enables greater transistor densities without the spatial constraints encountered in planar designs. This method opens up new possibilities for enhanced performance and power efficiency in future integrated circuits.

Industry analysts note that the milestone could accelerate the mainstream adoption of 3D logic semiconductors, a domain previously anticipated to advance at a slower pace. The ability to construct such compact transistors is expected to have a broad impact on the semiconductor sector, including applications in processors for computing, mobile devices, and other electronics requiring high performance in constrained spaces.

While specific details regarding the production process and commercial availability of these transistors have not been disclosed, the breakthrough underscores Samsung’s leadership in semiconductor research and development. It also highlights the company’s role in pushing the boundaries of what is achievable in nanoscale fabrication techniques.

This development aligns with the global trend towards three-dimensional chip architectures as a means to sustain Moore’s Law and meet the escalating demands of data-intensive applications. As transistor dimensions continue to shrink, innovations such as Samsung’s 42nm gate pitch 3D transistors will be critical to the evolution of future computing technologies.

Samsung engineers achieve a milestone with the smallest 3D transistors featuring a 42nm gate pitch, advancing chip miniaturization.