December 20, 2024 /SemiMedia/ — According to reports, Rapidus has begun installing an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine at its under-construction chip manufacturing facility in Chitose, Hokkaido. This marks a significant milestone as Rapidus becomes the first Japanese semiconductor company to receive an EUV machine from ASML.

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

The EUV lithography system components, manufactured by Dutch supplier ASML, arrived last Saturday and are expected to be fully installed by the end of this month. Due to its massive size, the installation will occur in four stages. The equipment weighs 71 tons, stands 3.4 meters tall, and is specially designed to resist vibrations and other disturbances.

EUV machines utilize advanced light sources and lens technology to create ultra-fine circuit patterns. ASML remains the sole global supplier of EUV systems, each costing approximately $180 million. Currently, only a few chipmakers, including TSMC, Samsung Electronics, and Intel, utilize this technology, with just 42 units delivered worldwide in 2023.

Rapidus plans to collaborate with IBM to develop 2nm prototype chips by 2025 and aims for mass production by 2027. In comparison, TSMC intends to start 2nm chip mass production in 2025.

While Japan held over 50% of the global semiconductor market share in the 1980s, it has since lagged behind in advanced chip manufacturing, with domestic chipmakers currently unable to produce chips smaller than 40nm.