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FPD/PCB NEWS～December 20


Shin-Etsu Chemical develops innovative new materials for wearable devices

Shin-Etsu Chemical announced to develop innovative electrophysiological dry electrodes and high-elasticity wiring materials, which will be used to contribute to the achievement of superior performance characteristics for next-generation wearable devices.

These wearable devices enable remote measurement and transmission of a person's electrical bio signals, including such vital signs as heart rate and electrocardiogram (ECG) waveform, while a person is wearing the device on their body.

FPD/PCB NEWS～December 15


Sumitomo Chemical Reorganizes Research Laboratories in Osaka, Tsukuba, and Chiba

Sumitomo Chemical announced to start a full-scale study on reorganizing the research laboratories at its Osaka, Tsukuba and Chiba sites, as part of its efforts to accelerate the creation of next-generation businesses.

The reorganization plan includes:
- Construction of a new research facility at the Osaka site as a base for incubation and open innovation, planned to be completed by the autumn of 2024;
- Transfer of research functions relating to new materials at the Osaka and Tsukuba sites to the Chiba site; and
- Integration of the research laboratories at the Tsukuba site into the Osaka and Chiba sites.

FPD/PCB NEWS～December 13


Dexerials releases pre-cut ACF for mounting of camera modules and other components

Dexerials announced that it has developed and commercialized Pre-cut Anisotropic Conductive Film (ACF), which can be mounted efficiently even when pads layout are designed in a unique form.

This product is suitable for use for pad connection in camera modules and various sensor modules where pads are not arranged linearly. It has been already used for mobile IT devices.

FPD/PCB NEWS～December 9


Ube Industries to Expand Production Facilities for Polyimide Film

Ube Industries announced that the company has decided to build a new plant for polyimide film (product name:UPILEXR), sales of which are expanding for circuit substrates for TFT-LCD and OLED. The new plant will be constructed at Ube Chemical Factory in Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The plant will start trial operations in October 2024, raising the production capacity by 20%.

UPILEXR is manufactured by Ube Industries' proprietary BPDA thermal imide process and has superior heat resistance, mechanical properties and dimensional stability compared to other polyimide films. Because of these advantages, UPLEXR commands a large market share for chip on film (COF) applications primarily for LCDs and OLED displays. In addition, demand for polyimide film for FPC applications has been strong.

The company decided to carry out this facility expansion in order to actively increase production capacity and ensure a stable supply of products to meet strong demand. The new plant will be equipped with technology to further improve productivity, and to handle a variety of product grades under a flexible production system.

FPD/PCB NEWS～December 8


TEL releases plasma etch systems for manufacturing 8G FPD

Tokyo Electron (TEL) announced the launch of Impressio 2400 PICP Pro, a plasma etch system for processing 8th generation (G8) glass substrates featuring the new PICP Pro chamber for high resolution processes.

TEL has developed the PICP Pro etch systems for the G8 display segment, with an enlarged version of the PICP Pro plasma module that has a track record in the G6 market for improving yield and production stability. By augmenting the high-precision etch performance of TEL's proprietary PICP high-density plasma source with a new capability to control the plasma-space-generating area, the PICP Pro systems can reduce the generation of particles that adversely affect the maintenance cycle and yield, achieving lower running costs compared with previous PICP.

FPD/PCB NEWS～December 7


Toray Developed MicroLED Display Materials

Toray Industries announced that it has developed a laser transfer release material to swiftly arrange light-emitting diode (LED) chips, a material that simplifies bonding between LEDs and wiring, and a substrate side wire material that helps enlarge displays, in collaboration with its subsidiary Toray Engi-neering. The Toray Group looks to contribute to microLED display progress and mass production by offering total solutions for the diverse material and equipment for the fabrication and in-spection.

The new laser transfer material enables fast placement of numerous LED chips in any position on a substrate in the display fabrication process. Using this material with Toray Engi-neering's laser transfer and inspection equipment can accelerate microLED production. It is also possible to create displays free of color irregularities through selective placement that reflects the color tone of each LED chip.

The new bonding and substrate side wire materials are the fruit of further work on RAYBRIDR, a proprietary photosensitive conductive material.

The material that connects LED chip electrodes to metal trace on the substrate enables faster joint formation at lower temperatures and lower bonding force compared to the conventional connection methods. It is accordingly easier to replace defective LED chips, which has been a challenge to date, and helps improve yields during manufacturing.

The substrate side wire material transmits signals from the surface to the back of a substrate. This simplifies the wiring formation process and makes it possible to seamlessly line up and enlarge multiple displays.