Latest news with #Rapidus'
Japan Times
31-03-2025
- Automotive
- Japan Times
Rapidus to launch pilot line for advanced chips on Tuesday
Rapidus is set to start the operations of a pilot line at its plant for advanced semiconductors in Chitose, Hokkaido, on Tuesday. The launch of the test line will be an important milestone in Rapidus' aim of beginning mass production at the factory in 2027. Securing domestic output bases for chips, a strategic item, is a pressing issue for Japan at a time when geopolitical risks such as a standoff between the United States and China are becoming more apparent. Rapidus was established in 2022 with investments from Toyota Motor, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. and other Japanese companies. The Chitose plant is slated to produce cutting-edge semiconductors with a circuit line width of 2 nanometers, expected to be used in artificial intelligence technology and autonomous driving systems. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. Last December, Rapidus became the first Japanese firm to adopt extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment, which is essential for making chips with narrow circuit line widths. "We will surely be able to start mass production by 2027," Rapidus President Atsuyoshi Koike said. "It's not an easy path, but we aim to improve the yield rate (in the pilot production phase) and ensure reliability." Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world's largest semiconductor foundry, and other chipmakers are also preparing to mass-produce 2-nanometer chips. Rapidus is aiming to set itself apart from competitors by focusing on shortening delivery times.
Japan Times
07-02-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Cabinet approves bill to fund Rapidus semiconductor production
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet approved a bill Friday designed to allow the government to invest in Tokyo-based Rapidus, which aims to build the world's first 2-nanometer semiconductor manufacturing plants in Chitose, Hokkaido, through quasi-government entities. The bill comes nearly three months after the Ishiba government announced that it wants to provide ¥10 trillion ($650.9 billion) in funding by fiscal 2030 for AI- and semiconductor-related facilities and equipment, including ¥4 trillion in financial support, a portion of which is expected to help Rapidus' operation. If the bill clears parliament, the government will be allowed to issue public bonds to cover the financial resources required for measures to ensure the stable chip production of cutting-edge semiconductors at Rapidus through March 2031.
