Rapidus, a rising force in Japan’s chip industry, has officially begun trial production of its 2nm GAA (Gate-All-Around) wafers, putting itself on a path to compete with semiconductor giants TSMC and Samsung.
Although the Japanese company is roughly a year behind the two titans, it has made astonishing progress in a very short time.
The company recently completed the installation of 200 high-end production units, making it one of the few firms globally with such cutting-edge equipment for 2nm and below. Notably, Rapidus has not been affected by U.S. export controls, allowing it access to next-gen EUV machinery – a critical advantage in such a tech-intensive race.
What sets Rapidus apart is its use of single-wafer front-end processing, which not only optimizes costs by enabling unit-level calibration but also generates extensive production data. This data can then feed AI models to fine-tune processes, significantly boosting yield and efficiency. It’s a data-driven loop of continuous improvement, rarely seen at this early stage in most chipmaking startups.
Just two years ago, in September 2023, Rapidus entered the advanced semiconductor game. In 2024, it completed its cleanroom facilities, and by mid-2025, it had already deployed one of the most advanced production lines globally. That pace is nearly unheard of in this industry.
Looking ahead, the company plans to release a Process Development Kit (PDK) tailored for its IIM-1 foundry’s 2nm process by Q1 2026. This means customers can start prototyping their own designs soon after, with mass production scheduled for 2027. While still trailing TSMC and Samsung, Rapidus now stands among an elite few even attempting 2nm wafer production – a feat that places Japan squarely back on the global chipmaking map.