TSMC plans to drop around $49 billion on four facilities that will pump out 1.4nm chips by late 2028. Japan's Rapidus wants to beat them to the punch by getting their own 1.4nm plant running a year earlier in Hokkaido while also plotting research into 1nm tech down the line.
The Japanese government and companies like Sony and Toyota have already committed $10 billion to bankroll Rapidus since this whole operation needs endless cash. The startup aims to kick off full production in 2027, but first has to crack the same problem everyone faces with advanced nodes, which is getting decent yields. They started messing around with trial 2nm wafer production earlier this year while Samsung quietly installed the high-end ASML gear needed for 1.4nm manufacturing back in March.
The Japanese government and companies like Sony and Toyota have already committed $10 billion to bankroll Rapidus since this whole operation needs endless cash. The startup aims to kick off full production in 2027, but first has to crack the same problem everyone faces with advanced nodes, which is getting decent yields. They started messing around with trial 2nm wafer production earlier this year while Samsung quietly installed the high-end ASML gear needed for 1.4nm manufacturing back in March.
