EUV hits Japan as Rapidus installs first tool

Japanese chipmaker Rapidus has commenced installation of an EUV tool from ASML in a fab under construction in Chitose, Hokkaido, marking the debut of EUV lithography on the island nation. The facility will host the Innovative Integration for Manufacturing foundry, which is scheduled to start 2nm pilot production in April 2025 and larger-scale production in 2027. Rapidus is taking a new approach to contract manufacturing, employing a single-wafer process to reduce cycle time. Targeting the AI market in particular, streamlining the wafer processing would cut the time it takes to go from development to mass production.