Rapidus Receives First EUV System, Plans 2nm Chips by 2027

According to Nikkei Asia, Rapidus has officially commenced the installation of Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment at its new chip manufacturing facility in Chitose, located in northern Hokkaido. This marks Rapidus as the first Japanese semiconductor company to receive EUV lithography systems.

During a ceremony held at New Chitose Airport, Rapidus CEO Junichi Koike remarked, "We will deliver cutting-edge semiconductors to the world from Hokkaido and Japan."

The first components of the EUV lithography system, supplied by Dutch company ASML, arrived at the airport last Saturday. The installation of the system at the factory is expected to be completed by the end of this month.

Due to the massive size of the equipment, the installation process will be carried out in four stages. Each complete system weighs approximately 71 tons—roughly the weight of a whale—and stands 3.4 meters tall.

EUV technology utilizes specialized light sources, lenses, and other advanced techniques to create ultra-fine circuit patterns. The large size of the system helps reduce the impact of vibrations and other disturbances during the manufacturing process.

ASML is currently the sole supplier of EUV lithography systems worldwide, with each system costing around $180 million or more. Only a handful of chip manufacturers, including TSMC, Samsung Electronics, and Intel, have adopted the technology. Just 42 units were shipped globally last year.

Rapidus is collaborating with IBM to develop prototype chips using cutting-edge 2nm technology, with plans to start mass production of these chips in 2027. TSMC also plans to begin large-scale production of 2nm chips in 2025.

Japan's semiconductor industry once dominated the global market, holding more than 50% of the market share in the 1980s. However, by the 2000s, Japan had withdrawn from the competition in producing increasingly smaller logic chips. Currently, no Japanese semiconductor company is capable of manufacturing chips more advanced than 40nm.