Rapidus Corporation signed a Memorandum of Cooperation and announced a strategic partnership with Keysight Technologies Japan K.K., the Japanese subsidiary of Keysight Technologies. Keysight and Rapidus will collaborate to create a high-precision Process Design Kit (PDK).
Through the creation of PDKs, the two companied will enhance Rapidus’ Design-Manufacturing Co-Optimization (DMCO) concept and offer ground-breaking precision gains by utilizing Keysight’s semiconductor parametric tester technology, analysis solution, and semiconductor manufacturing process optimization experience.
In order to determine the extent of their influence, both companies will first determine the elements that enhance Process Design Kit (PDK) accuracy, such as research methodologies and technological advancements, before thinking about how to put these strategies into practice.
Simultaneously, the companies will also make comparable efforts to determine what characteristics enhance the performance of semiconductor circuits, elements, and factors that increase the wafer process yield.
For many years, Keysight has supplied semiconductor parametric testers to aid in the semiconductor manufacturing process. In order to optimize semiconductor processes, increase yields, and address a variety of on-site issues, Keysight has developed and marketed unique analysis algorithms as well as extensive, flexible data formats or process control monitoring.
Keysight is commercializing the Keysight Wafer Operations Analytics Suite, a new root-cause analysis solution, by utilizing this new data format and analytical algorithm. In order to improve semiconductor design and manufacturing quality and save costs, this method seeks to swiftly and precisely pinpoint the distinct underlying causes of a variety of issues.
At its brand-new, state-of-the-art semiconductor development and manufacturing facility, Innovative Integration for Manufacturing (IIM-1), in Chitose City, Hokkaido, Rapidus started prototyping 2nm gate-all-around (GAA) transistors.
In order to achieve quick turnaround times, Rapidus is currently developing its Rapid and Unified Manufacturing Service (RUMS), a novel semiconductor foundry concept that will implement a single-wafer method for all production processes.
The process of gathering data on several semiconductor parameters has already started. Keysight’s root-cause analysis solution will be used to examine parametric tester data in order to determine the origins of different manufacturing problems.
Rapidus will create a Process Design Kit(PDK) that is compatible with their 2nm GAA manufacturing process using data that both companies have collected at the manufacturing facility. By Q1 2026, Rapidus intends to make the PDK available to its first clients, enabling them to start prototyping.
