TSMC’s push towards breaking the 2nm ceiling and jumping towards 1.4nm wafer production is scheduled to happen during the second half of 2028, with the Taiwanese semiconductor titan reportedly forking an initial investment of $49 billion that will go towards the construction of four plants. In close pursuit is Japan’s Rapidus, which reportedly aims to begin work on a facility for manufacturing wafers on the exact same lithography in 2027. However, there are also plans to research and develop 1nm chips at the same site, but that will happen at a later time.
Rapidus’ plans have received the necessary stimulus from the government and local firms, who have heavily invested in the startup to achieve the goal of manufacturing 1.4nm wafers
A report from Nikkei Asia states that Hokkaido, the second-largest island in Japan, will serve as the location to begin construction of the 1.4nm facility. Rapidus is keeping close pace with TSMC, and is said to start R&D of the next-generation node sometime in 2026. The company’s ambitions require near-limitless funding, but thankfully, Japan’s government has fully obliged, as have various giants such as Sony and Toyota, to help Rapidus realize its goal. The latter has already received a commitment of $10 billion or ¥1.7 trillion.
Regardless of the funds it receives, Rapidus is no stranger to the one problem that is universal to firms committed to mass producing 2nm and sub-2nm wafers: yields. While no figure was mentioned in the latest report, one can assume that this will be the semiconductor manufacturer’s greatest obstacle. The company has yet to start 2nm wafer production and aims to begin full-scale mass manufacturing in 2027.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Rapidus achieved a small but notable milestone as it reportedly started trial production of the 2nm GAA process. While TSMC will end up becoming the firm’s biggest rival in this space, Samsung is slowly climbing the ladder of advanced lithography, as the Korean giant was earlier said to have installed ASML’s High-NA EUV machine necessary for 1.4nm chip production in March. We will revisit Rapidus' progress in the coming months to assess how well it has fared, so stay tuned.
News Source: Nikkei Asia
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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