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On June 13, industry sources revealed that IBM announced a joint development partnership with Rapidus for advanced packaging mass production technology. Through this partnership, Rapidus will gain access to IBM's high-performance semiconductor packaging technology.

Rapidus President Koike Atsuyoshi and IBM Japan Vice President Norishige Morimoto shaking hands

Engineers from both companies will work together at IBM's U.S. research facilities on the R&D and manufacturing of semiconductor packaging for high-performance computer systems. This collaboration is expected to significantly accelerate Rapidus' timeline for mass-producing 2-nanometer chips.

Initially, Rapidus planned to test-produce 2-nanometer semiconductors next year and commence mass production by 2027. However, the collaboration with IBM could hasten this schedule.

Rapidus is funded by eight major Japanese corporations and is building a foundry in Hokkaido, Japan. Meanwhile, U.S. Intel is advancing rapidly, aiming to start mass production of its 1.8-nanometer (18A) process later this year, ahead of Samsung Electronics in next-generation processes.

With Japanese and U.S. foundries accelerating their efforts, it remains to be seen how Samsung Electronics, which plans to start mass production of its 2-nanometer process next year, will respond to the competition.

An industry insider noted, "The technology gap between Samsung and Rapidus is still significant, so an immediate reversal isn't likely. However, Samsung needs to improve its packaging technology, which currently lags behind."

Editor：Lulu

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