Rapidus Deploys 100 to IBM for 2nm Chip Breakthrough

Rapidus is a joint venture established in 2022 by eight Japanese companies, including Sony, Toyota, NTT, Mitsubishi, NEC, Kioxia, and SoftBank. Its aim is to design and manufacture advanced semiconductor processes domestically. By the end of 2022, Rapidus signed a technology licensing agreement with IBM, planning to initiate production lines at its wafer factory in Chitose, Hokkaido, Japan, in 2025, with trial production of 2nm chips and mass production commencing in 2027.

According to Business Korea, Rapidus has dispatched approximately 100 employees to IBM and is currently focused on developing 2nm process technology at the Albany NanoTech Complex in New York, USA. Additionally, Rapidus employees are learning from IBM’s technical staff how to utilize extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment, which is more complex than traditional lithography equipment and requires swift mastery.

The Albany NanoTech Complex, located about a three-hour drive from New York City, houses the largest 12-inch (300mm) wafer factory in the USA. Although it primarily functions as a technology research center, its structure resembles a semiconductor factory. In May 2021, IBM produced the world’s first 2nm chip here and demonstrated a complete 300mm wafer fabricated using the 2nm process.

Rapidus initially sent seven engineers to the Albany NanoTech Complex in April of last year, with plans to eventually dispatch around 200 personnel. Half of these technicians are responsible for production, while the others are equipment engineers analyzing performance measurements and design engineers focusing on circuit design. It is understood that these technicians are engaged in research on over 300 topics.