According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy signed a memorandum of cooperation on semiconductors in Tokyo. The two will jointly promote the cooperation between Japanese foundry Rapidus, which wants to mass-produce the 2 nm process, and Dutch lithography giant ASML, and join forces for technology development.
▲ Photo source: ASML
The report says ASML mass-produces EUV lithography machines needed for cutting-edge semiconductor processes. rapidus plans to use subsidies provided by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to procure EUV lithography equipment. It is noted that EUV lithography machines are in relatively short supply worldwide, facing competition from giants such as TSMC, Intel and Samsung. The report points out that if Rapidus and ASML start cooperation, it is expected to strengthen the supply chain.
Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Minoru Nishimura, who attended the signing ceremony, used Rapidus as a precedent and said he “hopes to strengthen government-to-government cooperation in the field of semiconductors”. Previously, the Netherlands and Japan have followed the footsteps of the United States to strengthen export controls on semiconductors. Japan added 23 products, including semiconductor manufacturing equipment, to its export control list in July, and the Netherlands will tighten export controls on ASML’s 5 nm-class DUV lithography machines NXT:2000i, NXT:2050i and NXT:2100i this week.
