Rapidus Desires to Provide Totally Automated Packaging for 2nm Fab to Minimize Chip Lead Instances

One of many core challenges that Rapidus will face when it kicks off quantity manufacturing of chips on its 2nm-class course of expertise in 2027 is lining up clients. With Intel, Samsung, and TSMC all slated to supply their very own 2nm-class nodes by that point, Rapidus will want some form of benefit to draw clients away from its extra established rivals. To that finish, the corporate thinks they’ve discovered their edge: absolutely automated packaging that may enable for shorter chip lead occasions than manned packaging operations.

In an interview with Nikkei, Rapidus’ president, Atsuyoshi Koike, outlined the corporate’s imaginative and prescient to make use of superior packaging as a aggressive edge for the brand new fab. The Hokkaido facility, which is at the moment below development and is anticipating to start tools set up this December, is already slated to each produce chips and supply superior packaging companies inside the similar facility, an business first. However in the end, Rapidus greatest plan to distinguish itself is by automating the back-end fab processes (chip packaging) to supply considerably sooner turnaround occasions.

Rapidus is targetting back-end manufacturing particularly as, in comparison with front-end (lithography) manufacturing, back-end manufacturing nonetheless closely depends on human labor. No different superior packaging fab has absolutely automated the method so far, which offers for a level of flexibility, however slows throughput. However with automation in place to deal with this side of chip manufacturing, Rapidus would be capable of improve chip packaging effectivity and pace, which is essential as chip meeting duties turn out to be extra advanced. Rapidus can be collaborating with a number of Japanese suppliers to supply supplies for back-end manufacturing. 

“Up to now, Japanese chipmakers tried to maintain their expertise growth completely in-house, which pushed up growth prices and made them much less aggressive,” Koike informed Nikkei. “[Rapidus plans to] open up expertise that must be standardized, bringing down prices, whereas dealing with vital expertise in-house.” 

Financially, Rapidus faces a big problem, needing a complete of ¥5 trillion ($35 billion) by the point mass manufacturing begins in 2027. The corporate estimates that ¥2 trillion shall be required by 2025 for prototype manufacturing. Whereas the Japanese authorities has offered ¥920 billion in support, Rapidus nonetheless must safe substantial funding from non-public traders.

Because of its lack of observe report and expertise of chip manufacturing as. properly as restricted visibility for fulfillment, Rapidus is discovering it troublesome to draw non-public financing. The corporate is in discussions with the federal government to make it simpler to lift capital, together with potential mortgage ensures, and is hopeful that new laws will help on this effort.