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FPD/PCB NEWS`April 15


Advantest & Toray Engineering Establish Technical Partnership in Micro LED Manufacturing

Advantest announced that it has entered into a technical partnership with Toray Engineering to promote efficient production technology for mini/micro LED displays.

In partnering together, the two companies will offer display manufacturers their combined inspection, transfer, and mounting technologies, data analysis technologies, and manufacturing-related technologies, enhancing customer production efficiency that benefits the mini/micro LED display market.

FPD/PCB NEWS`April 9


Shin-Etsu Chemical builds a new production base in Japan which will become its 4th production base for semiconductor lithography materials

Shin-Etsu Chemical announced that in order to expand its semiconductor lithography materials business, the company decided to build a new plant in Isesaki City in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. The new plant will become Shin-Etsu's 4th production base for this business.

Shin-Etsu has acquired an about 150,000 ‡u business site in the city where it will build a new manufacturing and research-and-development base for semiconductor lithography materials. The company invests in the new plant in phases, with the first phase of investment to be completed by 2026. The investment, including the acquisition of the land, is expected to amount to about \83 billion yen at the completion of the first phase of construction.

FPD/PCB NEWS`March 29


Resonac Increases Capacity to Produce Materials for AI Chips

Resonac announced to increase its capacity to produce materials for high-performance semiconductor chips, which are to be used mainly as CPUs for artificial intelligence (AI), to 3.5 to 5 times of the current level.

The company will increase production of non-conductive film (NCF) and thermal conductive sheet (thermal interface material:TIM) both of which have already been adopted by Resonac's customers for use in high-performance semiconductor chips. Resonac plans to invest 15 billion yen in facilities to produce these materials and will commence operation of the expanded facilities in and after 2024 step-by-step.

FPD/PCB NEWS`March 22


Dexerials operates Dexerials Photonics Solutions Corporation as integrated company leading growth in the photonics domain

Dexerials announced that the name of the integrated company to be created under Dexerials Precision Components Corporation (DXPC) and Kyoto Semiconductor has been determined as Dexerials Photonics Solutions (DXPS), a consolidated subsidiary of Dexerials in Japan, and that DXPS will commence operation on April 1, 2024.
DXPS will develop and manufacture microdevices and optical semiconductor device products that have been operated by DXPC and Kyoto Semiconductor. Dexerials will sell them to customers as its photonics products.

FPD/PCB NEWS`February 28


DIC Develops Basic Technology for an Innovative Epoxy Resin Curing Agent

DIC announced that it has succeeded in developing basic technology for a groundbreaking epoxy resin curing agent that resists heat up to over 200Ž and can be recycled. In addition to preserving the outstanding conventional qualities of epoxy resins, including excellent heat resistance, durability and mechanical properties, this new agent will facilitate remolding, making it possible to reuse this traditionally difficult-to-recycle thermosetting plastic.

This agent also makes it possible to reshape molded epoxy products so they can continue to be used for their original intended application, reducing environmental impact over the entire product lifecycle and contributing to the achievement of carbon neutrality. The company aims to advance to the verification test stage by 2027.

FPD/PCB NEWS`February 6


SCREEN to Acquire 100% Share of Phoenix Seiko, a Company Which Specializes in Plastic Processing

SCREEN Semiconductor Solutions (SCREEN SPE), a group company of SCREEN Holdings , has decided to acquire 100% share of Phoenix Seiko, making it a wholly owned subsidiary. Share acquisition is schedule to take place on March 31, 2024.

Phonix Seiko specializes in precision work and unit assembly of plastic products. It is particularly strong in welding of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products, which are crucial for semiconductor production equipment. The company has been one of the important partner companies of SCREEN SPE for years.

Combining the company's plastic processing technology with SCREEN SPE's cleaning equipment knowhow is expected to bolster the performance of the PVC products used in semiconductor production equipment.

FPD/PCB NEWS`January 31


Dexerials extends the second Kanuma Plant in Kanuma City

Dexerials announced to extend the second Kanuma Plant in Kanuma City, Tochigi. Dexerials concluded a reservation agreement with the Tochigi Prefecture Enterprise Bureau regarding acquisition of the site for the expansion. The site will be handed over during or after February 2024 and construction will commence.

FPD/PCB NEWS`January 29


DNP and UBE to Promote Collaboration Through a Joint Venture with the Aim of Creating New Value in Materials Analysis Field

Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) and UBE Corporation have agreed to start collaboration through a joint venture company in April 2024, aiming to create new value in materials analysis.

DNP and UBE will jointly operate UBE Scientific Analysis Laboratory (USAL), a UBE group company that analyzes organic, inorganic and polymer compounds, with DNP acquiring 66.625% of the issued shares of USAL. USAL will become a joint venture between the two companies, with UBE continuously holding a 33.375% stake.

FPD/PCB NEWS`January 26


Fujifilm Starts Full-Scale Operation of its Production Facility for CMP slurries Used in Semiconductor Process

FUJIFILM announced that its new production facility for CMP slurries, a basic material used in semiconductor manufacturing process, at its Kumamoto site has begun full-scale operation. The new facility was installed by FUJIFILM Electronic Materials (FFEM), the core company that leads Fujifilm's Electronic Materials business, with an investment of approximately 2 billion yen at the Kyushu site of FUJIFILM Material Manufacturing (FFMT Kyushu), a display materials production site located in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.

Fujifilm has launched FFMT Kyushu as its Kumamoto base for semiconductor materials, producing not only display materials but also semiconductor materials to ensure supply stability. This is Fujifilm's first CMP slurries production facility in Japan.

FPD/PCB NEWS`January 24


Toray Creates Ultra-High Tensile Strength Film Comparable to Stainless Steel

Toray Industries announced that it has created a plastic film almost as strong as stainless steel, with a maximum tensile strength of 1,200 Mpa. The material also offers the lightness, insulation, flexibility, and other benefits of polymers.

Toray overcame that challenge by creating a nanostructure with highly oriented molecular chains of Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) across two dimensions by leveraging its proprietary extrusion and biaxial stretching technologies. The resulting film is nearly as strong as stainless steel, with more than twice the tensile strength of polyethylene terephthalate film that serves in common industrial applications. It is also as strong as the toughest plastic film, made of aramid. Toray's film could serve in superconductivity, space, and other cryogenic applications. Its high strength saves weight and space.

Because of its nanostructure, the film offers a maximum in-plane thermal conductivity of 18 W/m/K. This is more than 10 times higher than that of polyethylene terephthalate film. Toray's film could function as a heat-dissipating material for flexible devices and other applications requiring miniaturization, lightness, insulation, and flexibility.

FPD/PCB NEWS`January 15


Fujifilm to Invest 6 Billion Yen in its Kumamoto Site for New Advanced Semiconductor Materials Production Facility

FUJIFILM announced a capital investment of approximately 6 billion yen in its Kumamoto site to further expand its Electronic Materials business.

FUJIFILM Electronic Materials will install a production facility for color filter materials used in image sensors at the Kyushu site of its manufacturing subsidiary, FUJIFILM Material Manufacturing. This facility is expected to start operations in the spring of 2025.