By joining forces, companies from Japan and the United States plan to develop 2nm chips over the upcoming years. This strategic collaboration opens doors for Japanese chip startup Rapidus to challenge TSMC – a Taiwanese industry leader – as they are now backed by IBM‘s partnership.
On Monday, Atsuyoshi Koike of Japanese-based Rapidus disclosed that they plan to construct a prototype 2nm chip production line by mid-2025. In comparison, TSMC (the top name in the industry) is aiming to reach mass production at this same level two years later.
Partnership Announced Between IBM and Japanese Rapidus.
In December, Rapidus and IBM made a grand announcement of their alliance. This partnership involves developing the 2nm chip design that was originally introduced in 2021 by IBM itself. Known for its miniature size as well as powerful performance, this chip can fit up to 50 billion transistors on something no bigger than a fingernail.
Additionally, it provides an impressive 45 percent increase in speed compared to 7nm technology, with only 75% less energy consumed at a similar performance level – which is absolutely extraordinary! While manufacturing these chips is often out of the scope of IBM’s capabilities, they are more than happy to license out its designs so that others can make use of them too.
Though Rapidus intends to reach mass production of 2nm chips, this target may take some more time. The company president has stated that the long-term goals will be achieved by the end of the 2020s – meaning intense competition with TSMC is not likely in the near future.
Competition Heats Up in the Chip Industry.
In the near future, the semiconductor industry will experience increased competition as Intel stands poised to release its 20 Ångström (20A) in 2024. Keep in mind that this is essentially a rebranding of 2nm technology. According to Intel, they view this field as even more lucrative than oil and are eager to keep up with TSMC’s advances.
Comparatively, Samsung has been manufacturing chips with the 3nm process like TSMC for a while. Both companies have committed to transitioning to this advanced technology by the end of 2023 or 2024 and are even striving toward 2nm chip mass production in 2025! On top of that, Samsung announced last October their ambition to produce 1.4nm chips by 2027.