On April 11, 2026, Japanese chipmaker Rapidus opened an Analysis Center adjacent to its IIM-1 (Innovative Integration for Manufacturing) fab in Chitose, Hokkaido, along with a back-end packaging R&D hub called Rapidus Chiplet Solutions (RCS). The company is developing panel-level packaging technology using 600mm-square glass substrates, expanding its Chitose development and production network ahead of mass production targeted for the second half of fiscal 2027.
What This Article Covers
- The roles played by the Analysis Center and RCS
- What Rapidus is aiming for with 600mm-square glass substrate panel-level packaging
- How this fits with the company’s 2nm logic mass-production plans
Overview
The Analysis Center performs the physical, environmental, and chemical analysis, electrical characterization, and reliability testing needed to develop cutting-edge logic semiconductors. RCS, meanwhile, is a post-production R&D hub for advanced packaging that began operating at the adjacent Seiko Epson Chitose plant in October 2024, with full-scale equipment installation underway since April 2025.
The 600mm-square glass substrate panel-level packaging RCS is developing is said to yield up to 10 times more interposers per sheet than conventional 300mm round silicon wafers. Glass substrates offer excellent flatness and dimensional control along with strong thermal and mechanical stability, making the technology well suited to the large, thermally demanding multi-die packages used in AI and cloud processors.
Details
The following points were confirmed through primary sources (Rapidus’s official announcement) and multiple independent media reports.
- The Analysis Center and RCS opening was announced on April 11, 2026, with a ceremony attended by Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Governor of Hokkaido, the Mayor of Chitose, and other government and local officials
- The Analysis Center handles physical, environmental, and chemical analysis, electrical characterization, and reliability testing needed for cutting-edge logic semiconductor development
- RCS has already produced prototype 600mm-square RDL (redistribution layer) interposer panels
- The 600mm-square glass substrate panel is said to yield up to 10 times more interposers per sheet than conventional 300mm silicon wafers
- On the production equipment side, Lam Research’s Kallisto electroplating system (which supports 600mm panels) is reported as a key manufacturing partner
- Alongside its 2nm logic front-end pilot line, Rapidus is building out its development infrastructure toward mass production of cutting-edge semiconductors in the second half of fiscal 2027
Industry Impact
Major foundries such as TSMC have relied primarily on silicon interposers and organic substrates for advanced packaging, but Rapidus is pursuing a different technical path with glass substrates. A large-format 600mm-square glass panel could outperform silicon substrates on both production efficiency and cost, which — if realized — could become a differentiating factor for Rapidus in the back-end packaging space.
That said, the mass-production timeline for panel-level packaging technology, and the specific investment amount and headcount for the Analysis Center and RCS, remain unconfirmed at this stage. Ramping up 2nm front-end logic and this new back-end technology in parallel is a difficult undertaking, and the actual production timeline warrants continued tracking.
Relevance to Japan
This story is directly relevant to Japan, as Rapidus is itself a Japanese company and this development is taking place at its domestic hub in Chitose, Hokkaido. The opening of the Analysis Center and RCS is part of an effort to build an integrated domestic capability spanning cutting-edge logic development through back-end packaging, with expected ripple effects for surrounding materials and equipment suppliers as well as the regional economy.
What to Watch Next
- The specific timeline for mass-production application of panel-level packaging technology
- Disclosure of investment amounts and headcount for the Analysis Center and RCS
- How integration with the 2nm logic front-end pilot line progresses
- Progress on collaboration with equipment makers such as Lam Research
We will update this article as these developments become clearer.
Summary
On April 11, 2026, Rapidus opened an Analysis Center and Rapidus Chiplet Solutions (RCS) in Chitose, Hokkaido, revealing its development of panel-level packaging technology using 600mm-square glass substrates. The technology aims to yield up to 10 times more interposers than conventional silicon substrates, and alongside its 2nm logic front-end pilot line, forms part of Rapidus’s development infrastructure ahead of mass production targeted for the second half of fiscal 2027. Specific investment figures and the mass-production timeline remain to be disclosed.
