[News] Rapidus Reportedly Launches Back-End Prototype Line; Japan Adds ¥631.5B to Support 2nm Push
Japan’s public-private foundry Rapidus is targeting mass production of 2nm chips in the second half of fiscal 2027. According to Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) approved an additional ¥631.5 billion in support on the 11th, bringing total government backing to approximately ¥2.4 trillion. The company is also making steady progress, with CEO Atsuyoshi Koike stating that a prototype line for back-end processes has entered full-scale operation.
On the same day, Rapidus held an opening ceremony for its Analysis Center and Rapidus Chiplet Solutions (RCS). According to its press release, the Analysis Center is located adjacent to Rapidus’ Innovative Integration for Manufacturing (IIM-1) foundry and supports the development of cutting-edge logic semiconductors through physical, environmental, and chemical analysis, as well as electrical characterization and reliability testing.
Meanwhile, the Rapidus Chiplet Solutions (RCS) facility serves as a post-production R&D hub for advanced chip packaging. As noted in the press release, following completion of the cleanroom, Rapidus began installing equipment in April 2025 and has been operating at limited capacity, including producing a prototype 600mm square RDL interposer panel. RCS is now set to begin full-scale operations. TECH+ notes that these new facilities represent a major step forward toward becoming an integrated production site for both front-end and back-end processes.
METI Backs Fujitsu, IBM Japan AI Chip Development; Rapidus Seen as Foundry Partner
Yomiuri Shimbun adds that METI announced on the 11th it will provide R&D support to Fujitsu and IBM Japan, both of which are developing semiconductors for AI applications. Under a subsidy program led by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), up to ¥58.5 billion and ¥17.5 billion will be allocated to Fujitsu and IBM Japan, respectively. Both companies plan to adopt 2nm-class semiconductors and are expected to outsource manufacturing to Rapidus.
Notably, according to Business + IT, Fujitsu plans to commission Rapidus to manufacture cutting-edge NPUs (Neural Processing Units) for AI. The chip is expected to use an advanced 1.4nm process. Securing a manufacturing contract from Fujitsu would provide Rapidus with a major customer, a key step toward establishing its mass production capabilities.
Fujitsu’s decision to outsource production to Rapidus represents the company’s second major deal with a domestic customer, following Canon’s earlier order for image-processing semiconductors used in digital cameras, Nikkei adds.
Read more
- [News] Rapidus Accelerates 1nm Push, Reportedly Targets Six-Month Gap with TSMC
- [News] Rapidus Reportedly Secures ¥167.6B Private Funding; 60 Clients in Talks, 10 Receive Initial Quotes
(Photo credit: Rapidus)
