January 15, 2025 /SemiMedia/ — Japanese startup foundry Rapidus Inc. plans to deliver 2nm prototype chips to U.S.-based fabless semiconductor company Broadcom in June, showcasing its manufacturing capabilities developed through a technology partnership with IBM.

Founded in 2022, Rapidus represents Japan's national effort to reclaim its competitive position in advanced silicon manufacturing. While the cutting-edge chipmaking market is currently dominated by TSMC, increasing demand for advanced nodes from clients like NVIDIA and Apple may create opportunities for other capable foundries to enter this market.

Rapidus is constructing a wafer fabrication facility in Chitose, Hokkaido, which broke ground in August 2023. The company aims to begin mass production of 2nm chips by 2027. However, its extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment is not expected to arrive until December 2024, making it unclear how complex the prototype chips delivered in June can be.

Additionally, the company plans to install the remaining equipment for its second-generation gate-all-around (GAA) process test line by April 2025 to further advance its manufacturing capabilities.

Rapidus’ production at the 2nm node is expected to leverage chiplet technology, providing flexibility for its collaboration with Broadcom. Broadcom will evaluate Rapidus’ 2nm process and may assign production tasks to the startup. This potential partnership is significant for Rapidus, particularly as Broadcom, the second-largest semiconductor company by market value after NVIDIA, has stringent technological demands that will test Rapidus' capabilities.

Broadcom, which focuses on networking chips for data centers, benefits from the rapid growth of artificial intelligence. This strategic alignment could open further opportunities for Rapidus in advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

The delivery of 2nm prototypes marks an important milestone for Rapidus, despite ongoing challenges with equipment readiness and scaling production capabilities.