[News] Rapidus Reportedly Months Behind on 2nm SRAM Development, March 2028 Mass Production Target at Risk

What happened

According to Bloomberg, citing sources, Japan's government-backed chipmaker Rapidus is reportedly falling behind schedule in its push to mass-produce 2nm chips by March 2028: the company has yet to demonstrate functioning static random access memory (SRAM) cells, a critical milestone it was expected to achieve by the summer, and the missed target has reportedly left it at least several months behind schedule, putting its mass production deadline at risk. The source attributes this to SRAM and high-current circuits being particularly prone to issues during the early stages of gate-all-around (GAA) process development, and Bloomberg also reports Rapidus is working to address dust and particle contamination issues in its cleanroom facilities. In response, a Rapidus spokesperson said the company remains fully committed to beginning mass production in the second half of fiscal 2027, though Rapidus declined to disclose details of its technology development, citing confidentiality. The Japanese government has committed more than JPY 2 trillion in funding to Rapidus so far, and significant technical setbacks could also delay the company's planned initial public offering by 2032. Rapidus began pilot production at its Hokkaido facility and announced in July 2025 that it had successfully produced functioning transistors; separately, according to Reuters, the company has partnered with 17 firms, including Synopsys and Infosys, to help customers design chips, while some potential customers remain cautious about shifting production from established foundries such as TSMC. According to NHK, CEO Atsuyoshi Koike said at a JETRO forum in Sapporo on November 4 that the company envisions building three additional fabs and an R&D facility near its existing plant in Hokkaido.

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Source: TrendForce · 11/9/2026 · View original source