Japan's semiconductor ambitions have surged in the past few years, and now the leading manufacturer, Fujitsu, intends to partner with Rapidus to build cutting-edge tech.
Fujitsu to Build Likely the World's First 1.4nm NPU, To Position It Alongside High-End Monaka CPUs
Japan's chip industry, with the backing of its government, has been making significant progress, not just in production but also in building an ecosystem that relies on domestic resources. We have already seen TSMC showing intentions to expand into Japan, which is a direct indication that the administration is eager to invest in this sector. In addition, a report by Nikkei Asia has disclosed that Japan's Fujitsu is reportedly planning to develop resources to tape out one of the world's first 1.4nm chips, and, interestingly, the fab operations would be handled directly by Rapidus. This means that Japan's 1.4nm product would be built entirely on in-house resources.
Manufacturing will be commissioned to Rapidus, a Japanese semiconductor company seeking to mass-produce cutting-edge chips. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is expected to cover part of the development cost. The effort will be a first step in responding to global moves to build AI capabilities amid economic security concerns.
- Nikkei Asia
The report states that Fujitsu will develop an NPU chip based on the 1.4nm process, a dedicated AI engine. We already know that the firm plans to pair these NPUs with its Fujitsu-Monaka-X processor, which will then be deployed in the native Fugaku NEXT supercomputer. The Monaka platform is known as a cutting-edge offering from the Japanese giant, featuring up to 144 cores per socket in a 3D chiplet layout and supporting PCIe 6.0 and CXL 3.0. Paired with the intended 1.4nm NPU, Fujitsu is expected to deliver significant compute power from its Monaka platform, which is why this project sounds a lot more compelling.
Regarding the 1.4nm process from Rapidus, it is claimed that the Japanese chip giant could begin trial production as soon as 2029. Details around the node are still confined for now, aside from the fact that Rapidus has partnered with supply chain players like IBM, Canon, and other Japanese equipment suppliers, with the primary focus of beating TSMC in the race for the cutting-edge node. Rapidus' 2nm process is expected to enter full-scale production by 2028, indicating that node development has been consistent enough. Yield rates and production ramp-up will be answered once the fabs are live.
Given how critical it has become for the world to diversify chip production, Japan has taken center stage alongside the US in developing an in-house semiconductor ecosystem, backed by government incentives. It would be interesting to see how these investments turn out in the long term, given that Japanese chip players have been building their supply chains from 'ground zero' for several years now, yet the spotlight is on others.
About the author: Muhammad Zuhair is a hardware and technology reporter for Wccftech, specializing in the semiconductor industry and the complex interplay between technology, manufacturing, and geopolitics. His coverage focuses on the corporate strategies and technological roadmaps of industry giants like TSMC, NVIDIA, Samsung, and Intel. Zuhair's expertise lies in deconstructing complex topics such as fabrication nodes (e.g., 2nm process), the economic impact of policies like the CHIPS Act, and the strategic development of AI infrastructure from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
