Fujifilm to double spending on chip supplies as U.S., Japan and South Korea up chip manufacturing
Fujifilm Holdings, a serious maker of uncooked supplies for semiconductor manufacturing and one of some suppliers of ultra-pure photoresists for EUV lithography, plans to take a position ¥100 billion ($640.5 million) by March 2027 to extend its semiconductor supplies manufacturing globally, in response to Nikkei. The corporate reportedly goals to broaden capacities within the U.S., Japan, and South Korea as main chipmakers are increase new superior fabs within the stated international locations. But, Fujifilm has but to substantiate the plan.
The outlined spending will double its funding from the final three years, aiming to satisfy rising demand pushed by new fabs within the U.S. (Intel, TSMC), Japan (Kioxia, Micron, TSMC), and South Korea (Samsung, SK hynix) in addition to manufacturing of ultra-high-end processors for AI and HPC sectors. As well as, the corporate additionally plans to faucet the Indian market as India is a rustic that seeks to make microelectronics as properly.
Fujifilm ranks fifth globally in photosensitive semiconductor supplies and it provides main chipmakers like TSMC and Samsung. It’s also certainly one of 5 makers of ultra-pure EUV photoresists together with JSR, DuPont, Tokyo Ohka Kogyo (TOK), and Shin-Etsu Chemical. As EUV operates at a particularly brief wavelength of 13.5nm, photoresists should meet stringent necessities by way of sensitivity, decision, line-edge roughness, and compatibility with EUV photomask supplies.
Onshoring of superior chip manufacturing has a drastic impact on the entire semiconductor business as not solely precise chipmakers like Intel and TSMC are establishing new manufacturing amenities, investing tens of billions of {dollars}, however their ecosystem companions comply with, which is the case with Fujifilm.
Fujifilm plans to reinforce manufacturing close to key shoppers to strengthen partnerships and higher serve the quickly rising semiconductor market. In Japan, Fujifilm is developing a brand new facility in Shizuoka for ¥13 billion ($83.27 million). In South Korea, a facility in Pyeongtaek will obtain new tools that’s logging on by autumn. Moreover, in Cheonan, a plant for producing abrasive brokers will enhance output capability by 30% as soon as mass manufacturing begins by spring 2027.
The corporate can also be exploring alternatives in India, the place it might companion with native corporations or set up a three way partnership to supply chip supplies. Relying on consumer exercise, Fujifilm might construct its personal amenities there, after fiscal 2027.
Fujifilm identifies chipmaking supplies as a key space for progress and plans to double its gross sales on this sector, focusing on ¥500 billion ($3.2 billion) by fiscal 2030, up from the fiscal 2024 stage. The enlargement aligns with Japan’s dominant place on this vital provide chain as presently the nation controls half of the marketplace for important semiconductor supplies.
Analysis by Fuji Keizai cited by Nikkei predicts the worldwide chipmaking supplies market will broaden by 35%, reaching $58.3 billion by 2029 in comparison with 2023 ranges.
