Rapidus reports 2-nanometer progress, moving Japan closer to semiconductor goals
The company last week printed circuitry on wafers using 2-nanometer gate-all-around process technology, President Atsuyoshi Koike told reporters Friday. He did not disclose the number of functional chips produced.
Rapidus, which in April began developing wafers using extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment from ASML Holding, aims to be ready to help customers with their chips by March, Koike said.
The company, which hopes to mass produce cutting-edge semiconductors by 2027, remains far behind industry leader Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing's plans to begin volume production of its own 2nm process later this year.
"I don't think anyone else has been able to succeed at EUV lithography in just three months,' Koike said at a news conference in Chitose on Hokkaido, the site of Rapidus' factory. "To get to this stage, none of us slept.'
Japan has earmarked more than ¥1.72 trillion ($11.6 billion) for Rapidus, part of a moon-shot bid to manufacture bleeding-edge chips at home. The overwhelming majority of the world's advanced artificial intelligence chips are manufactured by TSMC, sparking fears about reliance on an island that China claims as its own.
Critics, however, point to how past Japanese government efforts to help the private sector failed to revive the nation's leadership — whether in displays, solar panels or memory chips.
Nonetheless, uncertainty about U.S. President Donald Trump's willingness to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack is spurring Japan's efforts to build its own foundry. Rapidus has also received funding from local industry leaders like Toyota Motor and Sony Group.
"The world is astonished by how far we've come. Japan's now taking on cutting-edge technology after lagging behind by more than a decade,' Rapidus Chairman Tetsuro Higashi said.
Japanese officials have acknowledged the risks associated with the project.
Tokyo is studying plans to obtain golden shares with veto powers in exchange for some of the public money it has promised. The government also is preparing to guarantee Rapidus' debt, a move the country's lenders say is essential for them to lend to a startup that requires billions of dollars in equipment.
Rapidus is developing advanced chipmaking processes with IBM, and has partnerships with the likes of Belgian research hub Imec, the University of Tokyo and Japan's Riken.
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