Overview
- Multiple Korean business reports say Samsung Foundry has begun R&D and has started producing initial test wafers for Neuralink’s fourth‑generation chip, which carries the internal codename 'O1'.
- The chip is reported to be targeted to Samsung’s 4nm process, a more mature node companies use for stable yields and predictable supply.
- Coverage describes the fourth generation as aiming for bidirectional capability that can both read brain signals and send signals back into the brain, a technical shift from prior, read‑only Neuralink chips.
- Reports say production of the first test chips started in May 2026, with test‑chip shipments expected in the first half of 2027 and possible mass production in the second half of 2027, though Samsung and Neuralink have not publicly confirmed these timelines.
- Analysts framing the reports say the work could deepen ties between Samsung and Elon Musk’s companies and boost Samsung Foundry’s business as TSMC faces heavy demand from large AI customers.