Japan's Fujifilm will invest a total of 20 billion yen (1.84 billion KRW) in two semiconductor manufacturing hubs within the country to establish factories for the development and production of materials needed for next-generation semiconductors, Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on the 30th.
According to the report, Fujifilm will first invest about 13 billion yen (approximately 1.2 billion KRW) to build a new factory located in Shizuoka Prefecture. The factory is scheduled to begin operations in the fall of next year. This facility will focus on the development, trial production, and quality evaluation of cutting-edge semiconductor material photoresists (photosensitive agents) that can be used in advanced semiconductor production at the 1-nanometer (nm, one billionth of a meter) scale.
Nihon Keizai Shimbun stated, "As semiconductor demand rises, especially for generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications, Fujifilm is establishing a supply chain in the growing materials sector," adding, "With companies like Taiwan's TSMC preparing for mass production of 1-nanometer semiconductors, Fujifilm is also organizing its supply system in anticipation of increased demand in the materials field."
Additionally, Fujifilm will invest about 7 billion yen (approximately 640 million KRW) in its manufacturing base in Oita City. The new facility is expected to start operations in 2026. Through this, the production capacity of the material called 'post CMP cleaner,' which is used to smooth uneven surfaces generated during semiconductor manufacturing processes, will be expanded by 40% compared to the existing capacity.
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