Japanese startup Rapidus joins the 2nm race

Another entrant in the 2nm race is Japanese startup Rapidus. The company is funded by the Japanese government, which itself is working with the United States to manufacture 2nm chips using IBM technology. Rapidus plans to focus on small orders and custom chips, and it will not focus on achieving profitability through orders for mass-produced chips at the beginning. IBM manufactured its first chip using the 2nm node as early as May 2021, and even used all-around gate (GAA) transistors, using vertically placed horizontal nanosheets to surround the four sides of the channel. GAA allows better control of the drive current and reduces current leakage, which can produce more powerful and energy-efficient chips.