➀ Semicon Japan exhibit high attendance but a muted tone due to concerns over spending; ➁ Rapidus, a Japanese government-backed semiconductor plan, is seen as a fantasy; ➂ Analysts are adjusting their 2025 WFE outlook due to slowing demand; ➃ Chip equipment companies are lobbying for China sales, raising questions about hypocrisy; ➄ Stock market instability and uncertainty about the new administration's semiconductor policies.
Recent #Rapidus news in the semiconductor industry
➀ Rapidus is planning to build a second factory for 1.4nm process wafers; ➁ The first factory is being constructed in Chitose City, Hokkaido; ➂ The goal is to mass-produce 2nm wafers in 2027.
➀ Rapidus faces funding issues as it prepares to produce its first prototype chips next month.
➁ The company requires $32 billion for 2nm chip production by 2027, but has only secured $9.6 billion.
➂ The Japanese government plans to contribute an additional $674 million this year and is facing pressure to explain how the remaining $27 billion will be raised.
➀ Rapidus, a Japanese wafer foundry startup, is building a 2nm wafer factory in Hokkaido with a target to start trial production in April 2025 and mass production in 2027;
➁ Rapidus CEO Koike Atsuyoshi stated that the factory construction is proceeding smoothly and trial production will begin on April 1st;
➂ Rapidus aims to achieve an estimated cumulative revenue of 18 trillion yen from mass production between 2027 and 2036;
➃ TSMC is leading in the mass production of 2nm chips, but Rapidus has advantages in process speed, yield, and performance, and aims to catch up with TSMC;
➄ Rapidus, founded in August 2022, is a joint venture of eight Japanese companies, including Toyota, Sony, NTT, NEC, SoftBank, Denso, and Mitsubishi UFJ, with a target to mass produce 2nm processes by 2027;
➅ Rapidus plans to use robots and AI to create an automated 2nm production line in northern Japan, aiming to reduce delivery times by a factor of three compared to competitors;
➆ Rapidus has become the first company in Japan to receive EUV lithography machines, with the first batch of EUV lithography equipment arriving in Japan on December 14, 2024;
➇ Rapidus' fully automated factory gives it a competitive edge, as the back-end processes of chip manufacturing, such as interconnection, packaging, and testing, are labor-intensive;
➈ CEO Atsuyoshi Koike states that this will provide higher performance and faster delivery times for the same 2nm products compared to other companies.
➀ IBM and GloFo have settled their lawsuit over intellectual property and are exploring future cooperation; ➁ The lawsuit stemmed from IBM's transfer of its semiconductor unit to GloFo and subsequent technology transfers; ➂ GloFo accused IBM of transferring IP and trade secrets to Rapidus and Intel, and of attempting to attract technical staff.
➀ TSMC is expected to have the best 2nm process by the end of the year, with 60% yields on a GAA process in mass production in Q4 2025. ➁ Samsung is aiming for a Q4 launch for production on 2nm but won't optimize BSPD until 2027. ➃ Intel is also targeting a 2nm process with BSPD and GAA, despite 10% yields reported. ➄ Rapidus, a dark horse, is hoping to have its first 2nm prototype chips out this April with production by the end of the year and mass production in 2027.
➀ Rapidus' funding is being criticized by Japan's opposition party as being paid from unspent Covid relief funds; ➁ The Japanese government has a seven-year semiconductor support plan, with $8.3 billion allocated last month, some of which came from Covid relief funds; ➂ Rapidus has received $463 million from Japanese companies and government, but needs an additional $25.4 billion for mass production by 2027.
➀ Rapidus has received an ASML EUV machine for installation at its IIM-1 foundry in Chitose, Hokkaido; ➁ This marks the first time EUV technology will be used for mass production in Japan; ➂ The TWINSCAN NXE:3800E machine can process 220 wafers an hour; ➃ Rapidus plans to start pilot silicon production at IIM-1 in April 2025 with a single-wafer process.
➀ Rapidus and Synopsys collaborate to shorten the IC design cycle with a new approach; ➁ The approach aims to reduce the need for re-characterization and accelerate design iterations; ➂ Synopsys will develop advanced design flows and enable a broad IP portfolio on Rapidus’ 2nm GAA process.
➀ Japan's government is accelerating the development of its advanced chip manufacturing industry, planning to invest 200 billion yen ($1.9 billion) in chipmaker Rapidus in the fiscal year 2025 to stimulate further investment and financing from the private sector.
➁ Rapidus aims to achieve mass production of 2nm chips by 2027, requiring a total investment of up to 5 trillion yen. The Japanese government has agreed to provide 920 billion yen in subsidies, but the remaining 4 trillion yen gap is a focus of attention.
➂ The government plans to support the company's financing through guarantees of debt and investments by state institutions, and aims to include this proposal in the upcoming economic stimulus plan.
➀ Rapidus aims to mass-produce 2 nanometer chips by 2027 in its plant in Hokkaido, Japan, and is set to start receiving Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines in December;
➁ The local media reports that the advanced process trial production line of Rapidus' Hokkaido plant is less than 6 months away from startup, and it is expected to bring over 1.8 trillion yen of economic benefits to the local area;
➂ The Hokkaido New Industry Cluster Bureau, an industrial organization supporting the establishment of a domestic semiconductor ecosystem in Japan, estimates that by the fiscal year 2036, the economic chain effect of Rapidus' plant in Hokkaido could reach as high as 1.88 trillion yen.
➀ The Japanese government is considering investing in Rapidus, a semiconductor company aiming to mass-produce the next generation of semiconductors by 2027;
➁ The government plans to exchange funds for Rapidus' shares, with the government-funded factory to be built by Rapidus;
➂ The government has already decided to invest a total of 920 billion yen (about 4.36 billion RMB) through the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) as a research and development fee;
➃ Rapidus is constructing a factory in Chitose, Hokkaido, and plans to start trial production lines in April 2025.
➀ Rapidus, the Japanese startup aiming for 2nm manufacturing capability, faces a $7 billion funding gap. Three Japanese banks are investing $35 million each, with the Development Bank of Japan adding $70 million. ➁ Rapidus originally estimated a $14 billion cost for its 2nm pilot line and $7 billion for volume production. Now, the company forecasts another $7 billion is needed to establish the pilot line, with the total estimated at $35 billion. ➂ Rapidus is seeking additional investment from corporate backers and government support for its expansion plans.
➀ Rapidus Corp. is seeking to raise ¥100 billion ($696 million) to finance its chip development efforts; ➁ The company is approaching existing investors including Toyota, Sony, SoftBank, and MUFG Bank, as well as new investors such as Mizuho Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp.; ➂ Rapidus is part of Japan's campaign to regain leadership in the global chip industry.
➀ Rapidus is negotiating with Japanese banks to fill a $7 billion funding gap for its 2nm chip production plans. ➁ The company aims to set up a pilot line by 2025 and a mass production line by 2027, with an estimated total cost of $21 billion. ➂ Rapidus is also seeking additional investments from its initial backers and has secured $6.3 billion from the Japanese government.