Rapidus, a Japanese company targeting the mass production of 2nm chips, has announced the delivery of Japan's first extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine, the NXE:3800E, which will be installed at its Innovative Integration for Manufacturing (IIM-1) foundry under construction in Hokkaido. The company plans to introduce multiple units in the future.
According to reports from Nikkei and NHK, Rapidus is transporting the EUV lithography machine from New Chitose Airport and held a ceremony there on December 18, 2024, to commemorate the introduction of the first EUV lithography machine.
Rapidus president Atsuyoshi Koike stated that it marked a significant day as they began supplying semiconductors from Hokkaido to the world. Although they are still in the initial stages, this represents a solid first step towards providing advanced semiconductors globally from Japan.
Koike mentioned that although he cannot disclose how many EUV lithography machines will be introduced as it would reveal their chip production capacity, he claimed that one or two EUV machines would not suffice to meet Rapidus' production targets.
Some components of the EUV lithography machine arrived at New Chitose Airport on December 14, 2024, with the remaining parts expected to be delivered in batches, completing the entire equipment transfer by the end of 2024.
Due to the size of the equipment, transportation must occur in phases. Each EUV lithography machine weighs 71 tons—equivalent to a whale—and stands 3.4m tall, containing various precision parts that require seismic resistance. The facility supporting this equipment is being constructed by Kajima, while the cleanroom housing the lithography machine is being built by Takasago Thermal Engineering.
In November 2024, Koike met with Martin van den Brink, former president and CTO of ASML, at the site of Rapidus' new factory to discuss the installation of EUV equipment. After two and a half hours of inspection, van den Brink assured him that there were no issues.
Koike stated that the progress of Rapidus' 2nm mass production technology is proceeding according to schedule, and the introduction of EUV technology will further strengthen their efforts.
Rapidus has dispatched 150 technical personnel to IBM's Albany NanoTech Complex for R&D, with some staff already returning to work in Hokkaido. When the trial production line becomes operational in April 2025, it is expected that 300 to 400 employees will be working at the plant.
Koike acknowledged that TSMC may achieve 2nm chip mass production faster than Rapidus. However, he also stressed that Rapidus has advantages in manufacturing processes that allow them to catch up quickly in yield and performance requirements.
