Rapidus Desires to Supply Totally Automated Packaging for 2nm Fab to Reduce 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 know-how 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 type 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 permit for shorter chip lead instances 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 present below building and is anticipating to start tools set up this December, is already slated to each produce chips and provide superior packaging companies throughout the identical facility, an trade first. However finally, Rapidus greatest plan to distinguish itself is by automating the back-end fab processes (chip packaging) to supply considerably quicker turnaround instances.

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 to date, which supplies for a level of flexibility, however slows throughput. However with automation in place to deal with this facet of chip manufacturing, Rapidus would have the ability to improve chip packaging effectivity and pace, which is essential as chip meeting duties change into extra complicated. Rapidus can also be collaborating with a number of Japanese suppliers to supply supplies for back-end manufacturing. 

“Previously, Japanese chipmakers tried to maintain their know-how improvement completely in-house, which pushed up improvement prices and made them much less aggressive,” Koike instructed Nikkei. “[Rapidus plans to] open up know-how that ought to be standardized, bringing down prices, whereas dealing with vital know-how 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 personal traders.

Resulting from its lack of monitor report and expertise of chip manufacturing as. properly as restricted visibility for achievement, Rapidus is discovering it troublesome to draw personal 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.