|
|
|
www.design-reuse-embedded.com |
|
Japan chip venture Rapidus aims for 2-nm prototype line by 2025
Rapidus President Atsuyoshi Koike told Nikkei that "hundreds of engineers" will be needed to get 2-nanometer technology off the ground.
asia.nikkei.com/, Jan. 25, 2023 –
TOKYO -- Japanese government-backed chipmaker Rapidus plans to set up a prototype production line for cutting-edge 2-nanometer semiconductors by the first half of 2025, President Atsuyoshi Koike told Nikkei on Tuesday.
This time frame is necessary to achieve the company's goal of mass production in the late 2020s, Koike said. The late-2020s timeline would put Rapidus not far behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world's largest chip foundry, which aims to begin full-scale 2-nm production in 2025.
Rapidus plans to officially decide by March on a site for the prototyping facility, which is also expected to handle mass production further down the line. The location will need stable water and electrical infrastructure, as well as the ability to "attract domestic and foreign talent easily," Koike said.
Making 2-nm semiconductors -- expected to be used for artificial intelligence and supercomputing -- poses a technological challenge, in large part because it requires a completely different architecture from earlier generations like the 12- to 28-nm chips to be made at TSMC's new plant in Japan starting up in 2024.
Koike has estimated that Rapidus will need to invest 2 trillion yen ($15 billion) to get the new technology off the ground, plus another 3 trillion yen for mass production facilities.
The complexity and incredibly small scale of top-of-the-line chips means that they take longer to design and put into production. Rapidus will help customers with design and adjust its manufacturing process to reduce this time, Koike said, using short delivery times to differentiate itself from TSMC and Samsung Electronics, which have an overwhelming advantage in volume.
Back
Contact Us
Partnership Offers