-advertisement-

Rapidus Corporation, which is building a chip fab in Northern Japan, announced plans to use robots and AI to fully automate its 2-nm chip production line for advanced AI applications. According to Nikkei Asia, the company expects to begin prototyping these chips next year, with mass production slated for 2027.

The automation is expected to drastically reduce production times, enabling Rapidus to deliver chips in one-third the time of its competitors. Construction of the fab's external structure is set to be completed by October, with EUV lithography tools arriving in December.

By fully automating both front-end and back-end processes, Rapidus aims to gain a competitive edge over established semiconductor manufacturers. President Atsuyoshi Koike claims this approach will provide "higher performance and faster turnaround times" for 2-nm products compared to rivals.

This is critical as Rapidus is two years behind TSMC and Samsung, which plan to start 2-nm production in 2025. The AI accelerator market, expected to grow by 250% this year, adds urgency to Rapidus' efforts.

However, the company faces significant financial challenges. It requires 2 trillion yen ($14 billion) for prototyping in 2025 and 3 trillion yen ($20 billion) for mass production. While it's set to receive 920 billion yen from the Japanese government, securing private financing remains difficult due to its lack of a track record.

Koike notes, "As things stand now, it is difficult for Rapidus to secure private financing," but adds that discussions are ongoing to ease capital raising, potentially through government loan guarantees.

Editor：Lulu

▼▼▼

ASE to spend NT$5.26bn for Hung Ching's 'K18' fab

Foxconn hires 50,000 new workers to ramp up iPhone 16 production in China

OpenAI co-founder leaves company for rival Anthropic

Shares of chipmaker Black Sesame fall on HK debut

Japan's "Silicon Island" hit by 7.1-magnitude earthquake! Is a chip price hike coming?

China's top chipmaker SMIC reports plunge in Q2 profits