Rapidus

Rapidus is a Japanese semiconductor company established in 2022 as a joint venture aimed at accelerating domestic production of advanced logic chips. The project seeks to reduce Japan’s reliance on overseas foundries by developing leading‑edge fabrication capabilities within the country and supplying high‑performance chips for industrial and consumer applications.

The formation of Rapidus involved a consortium of Japanese industry players and support from government entities, with the goal of building a state‑of‑the‑art fabrication facility in Japan. The initiative emphasizes the development of 2 nanometer class process technologies and beyond, leveraging extreme ultraviolet lithography and close collaboration with equipment suppliers and research institutions.

Technology and roadmap plans center on achieving early demonstrations of advanced nodes and scaling to full production at a new fab in the late 2020s. Rapidus has pursued partnerships with global equipment and materials providers to enable process development, and to establish a supply chain capable of delivering sophisticated chips for both domestic and international markets.

Status and reception have positioned Rapidus within Japan’s broader strategy to bolster semiconductor resilience and sovereignty. The venture faces competition from established global foundries and ongoing supply‑chain considerations, but it remains part of ongoing efforts to expand Japan’s leadership in advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

See also: semiconductor industry in Japan, EUV lithography, logic semiconductor fabrication, 2nm process.