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Rapidus secures US$2.3 billion to start 2nm wafer fab

Rapidus secures US$2.3 billion to start 2nm wafer fab

Business news |
By Peter Clarke



Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), is finalizing plans to provide Rapidus Co. Ltd. with 300 billion yen (about US$2.3 billion) to build a wafer fab on the northern island of Hokkaido, according to Hokkaido Shimbun.

The local newspaper cited METI officials as sources. “We will support the development of the prototype line that the company plans to start operating in 2025,” the paper quoted one as saying.

Rapidus (Tokyo, Japan) is a newly-formed logic foundry that the Japanese government hopes can help the country get back into advanced chip manufacturing. The company is aiming at 2nm production and announced the selection of Chitose City, near Sapporo on the island of Hokkaido, as the location for its wafer fab in February (see Rapidus selects Hokkaido for 2nm wafer fab site).

Rapidus is working with IBM and research institute IMEC to develop an independent 2nm logic capability (see Japan’s 2nm hope Rapidus, joins IMEC’s ‘Core’ research program).

Two phases

The company has said it expects to bring up a prototype production line in 2025 and then enter mass production in the late 2020s. The wafer fab project is expected to cost as much as 5 trillion yen (about US$37 billion).

Atsuyoshi Koike, CEO of Rapidus, has said the wafer fab is expected to occupy a site that spans several dozen hectares. He said the company will need 2 trillion yen for research and development before it can start trial production, and then 3 trillion yen to start mass-producing semiconductors.

Rapidus was formed by a consortium of eight Japanese companies – including Toyota, Sony, NEC, Kioxia and SoftBank – with initial funding of 7.3 billion yen (about US$51.5 million) to create the company. Rapidus was also promised 70 billion yen (about US$490 million) in subsidies to support work with IBM to develop 2nm chips.

Related links and articles:

www.rapidus.inc

News articles:

Japan’s 2nm hope Rapidus, joins IMEC’s ‘Core’ research program

Rapidus selects Hokkaido for 2nm wafer fab site

Rapidus seeks billions of dollars to use IBM’s 2nm process

Consortium forms Rapidus to get Japan back into chip race at 2nm

Japan, US make plans for independent 2nm production

IBM announces 2nm chip, and manufacturing process

 

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