Japan’s Rapidus has recruited 17 design partners as it tries to ensure its planned 2nm foundry has punters when production begins.
The state-backed chipmaker has created the Rapidus Collaborative Open Rapid Ecosystem, or CORE, to provide design and manufacturing support for companies wanting advanced custom silicon.
Its first move is a group called Design Solution Associates, bringing together firms from Japan, the US, India, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea. The membership includes Cadence Design Systems, Synopsys, Toshiba Information Systems, Dai Nippon Printing, TOPPAN, HCL Technologies, Infosys, Wipro and AION Silicon.
Malaysian participants include GreatAsic Technology, Infinecs Systems, Oppstar Technology and SkyeChip, while MosChip Technologies, MavissDesign, NSW and Quest Global Services complete the list.
Building a leading-edge foundry is of little use if prospective customers lack the engineers, tools and intellectual property needed to design something worth putting through it. Rapidus said advanced semiconductor development now requires manufacturing to be tied closely to research organisations, electronic design automation, intellectual property and chip design.
“Today, semiconductor development requires more than just manufacturing technology; it is essential to integrate the entire semiconductor value chain, including research institutions, EDA, IP, design and manufacturing, to provide customers with a development and production infrastructure they can rely on,” Rapidus said.
The company said a global shortage of advanced semiconductor engineers makes outside design support particularly important for customers wanting to begin projects early.
Design Solution Associates will act as a bridge between customers and Rapidus, supplying engineering resources and specialist knowledge from initial design through to manufacturing.
Rapidus wants to start mass production using its advanced 2nm process in 2027, putting it into a market where TSMC and Samsung already have established customers, mature design infrastructure and years of foundry experience.
Having a 2nm process solves only part of Rapidus’ problem, as it still needs enough chip designers using that process to keep an extremely expensive factory occupied. The company has been building its IIM-1 manufacturing facility in Chitose, Hokkaido, as Japan attempts to claw its way back into leading-edge semiconductor production.
Rapidus plans to expand CORE beyond design services into EDA, IP and other parts of the semiconductor development chain.
That means the company is effectively trying to assemble the surrounding machinery of a mature foundry business while simultaneously getting its 2nm manufacturing operation onto its feet.
