Dec 12, 2022 - Technology

IBM to help Japan's big chip push

Ina Fried

A close-up of a silicon wafer of 2-nanometer chips. Image: IBM

IBM announced Monday its technology will help power the chipmaking ambitions of Rapidus, a newly formed Japanese company aiming to bring leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing back to that country.

Why it matters: The deal is part of a broader move on the part of governments and chip giants to diversify leading-edge chip production, which today is concentrated in Taiwan and South Korea.

Driving the news: Rapidus will license the 2-nanometer chipmaking process that IBM announced last year, and engineers from both companies will work together as part of a joint development pact.

The goal is to have Rapidus producing the new chips in Japan by the latter part of the decade.
Rapidus was established recently by eight major Japanese electronics firms and has already signed deals with other partners.

The big picture: Governments around the world have been rushing to incentivize homegrown chipmaking operations to spur their own economic growth and create more resilient supply chains.

In the U.S., the Chips and Science Act has helped spur a wave of investment in chip manufacturing, with Intel, TSMC, Samsung and Micron all planning new large-scale operations here.

What they're saying: "It’s absolutely going to be leading-edge technology," IBM Senior VP Dario Gil told Axios.

Add Axios on Google

IBM to help Japan's big chip push

What to read next