IBM Partners Japan Govt-Backed Chip Maker Rapidus To Manufacture Advanced Chipsets

IBM has joined hands with Rapidus, a new chipset maker backed by the Japanese government, to manufacture chips in Japan by the second half of the decade.

Tech giant IBM has joined hands with Rapidus, a new chipset maker backed by the Japanese government, to manufacture chips in Japan by the second half of the decade. This comes amid tense US-China relations, especially over chipsets. The US has restricted China's access to advanced semiconductor technology and asked its allies, including Japan, to do the same, say reports.

To note, Apple has already said it is planning to use chipsets from a factory in the US state of Arizona starting in 2024, in an attempt to reduce its dependency on Asian production. Apple is also planning to source chips from Europe in the future.

Rapidus Corporation researches, develops, designs, manufactures and sells advanced logic semiconductors. As part of this agreement, Rapidus and IBM will further develop IBM's breakthrough 2-nanometer (nm) node technology for implementation by Rapidus at its fab in Japan.

"It is my great pleasure to announce today that Rapidus has officially partnered with IBM for the joint development of 2 nm node technology," Atsuyoshi Koike, President and CEO of Rapidus, said in a statement.

"This is a long-desired international collaboration, truly essential for Japan to once again play a vital role in the semiconductor supply chain. I am fully confident that this collaboration will pave the way for our goal of contribution to the well-being of humanity through advanced logic semiconductors produced with technologies jointly developed with IBM."

IBM is known to have decades of expertise in semiconductor research and design. Earlier in 2021, IBM announced that it had developed the world's first 2-nm node chip, which is projected to achieve 45 per cent better performance or 75 per cent more energy efficiency than leading 7-nm chipsets. IBM has had successful joint partnerships with Japanese semiconductor manufacturers in advanced logic and memory technology.

"IBM is honoured to be partnering with Rapidus on developing the next generation of semiconductor technologies and helping to position Japan as a leader in one of the world's most strategic technology areas," said Darío Gil, SVP and Director of Research at IBM.

"This collaboration is critical to ensure a geographically balanced global supply chain of advanced semiconductors, built through a vibrant ecosystem of like-minded companies and nations."