Semiconductors
The Leading-Edge Race
2nm, TSMC and what 'scaling' really means
12 articles
Rapidus UK Partnership: Britain Just Signed Up for Japan's 2nm — While Domestic Customers Are Nowhere in Sight
The UK Semiconductor Centre (UKSC) and Rapidus signed a memorandum of understanding on June 14, 2026, opening a path for British companies to access Rapidus's 2nm prototyping and volume production by late 2027. Japan's national champion foundry carries more than 2.354 trillion yen in state funding — so why is its first customer pipeline forming overseas rather than at home? A primary-source read.
記事を読む Leading-Edge Logic / Explainer Hub2nm Capacity Sold Out Before Mass Production Even Began: Where TSMC, Intel, Samsung and Rapidus Stand
TSMC started volume production of its 2nm generation (N2) in December 2025 — and its 2026 capacity is already reported as effectively sold out to Apple, NVIDIA, Qualcomm and AMD. Intel and Samsung are chasing, while Japan's Rapidus targets mass production in fiscal 2027. One map of where all four camps stand and how long the shortage will last.
記事を読む Foundry / News AnalysisTSMC Price Increase 2026: Apple and NVIDIA Reportedly Face Higher Prices Across Every Advanced Node — 74% of Wafer Revenue
TSMC has notified customers of price increases across all advanced nodes from 7nm onward — roughly 74-75% of its wafer revenue — according to an exclusive report by independent outlet Culpium on June 23, 2026. What is new is the scope: not just 3nm but everything down to 7nm. No across-the-board percentage has been confirmed. We unpack the pricing power behind the move, the caveats of a single-outlet anonymous-source story — and the contrast with Japan's Rapidus, which is publicly undercutting TSMC on 2nm.
記事を読む Company Deep Dive / TSMCTSMC by the Numbers: 70% Foundry Share, 58% of Revenue from AI Servers — a Deep Dive into the Business Behind the Chip Monopoly
Apple's smartphones and NVIDIA's AI accelerators alike depend on one Taiwanese company for their leading-edge logic chips. This deep dive breaks down where the world's first pure-play foundry earns its money, why it holds over 70% market share, and where its risks lie — including the Kumamoto, Japan fab it built to hedge Taiwan concentration.
記事を読む Foundry / Market Analysis 2026Foundry Market Share 2026: TSMC Holds 67%, Samsung Slips to 8% — Why the Gap Keeps Widening
In the semiconductor foundry market, TSMC captured over 67% share in Q4 2024 while second-place Samsung fell back to roughly 8%. The gap comes down to one fact: a 25–35 point yield deficit at the leading edge. A data-driven look at the yield divide, Intel's comeback bid with Google's TPU order, and Japan's Rapidus targeting 2027 production.
記事を読む Foundry / Earnings AnalysisTSMC Q2 2026 Earnings: Net Profit Jumps 77% to a Record as AI Servers Hit 66% of Revenue
TSMC's Q2 2026 results, released July 16, 2026, delivered a record net profit of NT$706.56 billion (+77.4% YoY). Gross margin of 67.7% beat the top of the company's own guidance, and net profit came in roughly 12% above consensus. HPC now accounts for 66% of revenue, and the 2nm node appeared in the revenue mix for the first time at 3%. Q3 guidance of US$44.6–45.8 billion points to further acceleration. A primary-source breakdown of what the numbers say and what to watch next.
記事を読む Foundry / Company AnalysisWhy TSMC Matters: The One Taiwanese Company the World's Phones and AI Cannot Exist Without — and Why It Built a Fab in Japan
The iPhone's chip and NVIDIA's AI GPUs are both made by the same Taiwanese company: TSMC. This beginner-friendly guide explains how leading-edge chipmaking became concentrated in one firm, why Taiwan turned into a geopolitical flashpoint — and why TSMC chose Kumamoto, Japan for its risk-hedging expansion.
記事を読む Japan Semiconductor / News AnalysisRapidus Is Talking to 60 Companies and Has Handed Design Kits to About 10 — Why Winning Customers Is Harder Than Building the Fab
Rapidus in Chitose, Hokkaido has demonstrated 2nm prototypes and secured additional government investment. But what decides a foundry's fate is not the fab — it is customers. Rapidus is in talks with more than 60 companies and has moved to providing PDKs (process design kits) to about 10 of them. Without designers on board, even the most advanced fab spins idle. This is the real wall: customer acquisition.
記事を読む Foundry / News AnalysisRapidus Puts a Price on 2nm: ¥3–3.5 Million per Wafer — Undercutting TSMC Before Shipping a Single Production Chip
Rapidus CEO Atsuyoshi Koike said on July 8, 2026 that the company will price its 2nm foundry service at a level at least equal to, or slightly below, TSMC's, according to Nikkei. The reference price is 3 to 3.5 million yen per wafer — roughly $18,460 to $21,540, well under the ~$30,000 reported for TSMC's 2nm wafers. We unpack why a challenger with zero production track record showed its price tag first, and the yield risk behind the bet.
記事を読む Company Deep Dive / RapidusRapidus Explained: Japan's Last Bet on a 2nm Foundry — and Why It Refuses to Copy TSMC
Rapidus is Japan's advanced-logic foundry startup, founded in 2022 and backed by Toyota, Sony, Kioxia, NTT and four other corporations plus the Japanese government. Armed with IBM's 2nm technology and a research alliance with Belgium's imec, it is targeting volume production in 2027. This deep dive unpacks the three realities behind the headlines — enormous state funding, customers still unsigned, and a yield ramp that has barely begun — from both the technology and market sides.
記事を読む Japan Semiconductor / News AnalysisJapan Has Committed ¥2.35 Trillion to Rapidus — and Money Was Never the Hard Part
In April 2026, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry approved an additional 631.5 billion yen for Rapidus, bringing cumulative state funding to 2.354 trillion yen. The 2nm pilot line at IIM-1 in Chitose, Hokkaido is already running. But the real wall between here and volume production is not money — it is yield, customers and time. A primary-source read on whether Japan can return to leading-edge logic.
記事を読む Japan / Kumamoto / JASMWhy TSMC Built a Fab in Rural Kumamoto: Water, Sony, and Billions in Subsidies
JASM, the Kumamoto subsidiary of Taiwan's TSMC, put a volume-production fab in the farm town of Kikuyo — and transformed land prices, traffic and hiring across the region. What does the fab actually make, and why did the world's biggest chipmaker choose this spot? The answer comes down to three things: water, a neighbor, and government money.
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