Ahead-looking: The development of latest chipmaking services within the US and overseas is driving elevated demand for semiconductor supplies. A number of supplies suppliers, together with Fujifilm Holdings, are ramping up manufacturing and investing in infrastructure and new vegetation to maintain up with the demand from chipmakers like Intel and TSMC.
Fujifilm Holdings has introduced an bold plan to speculate roughly ¥100 billion ($640.5 million US) by March 2027 to extend its international semiconductor supplies manufacturing capability. Nikkei experiences that the corporate intends to increase its operations in key markets, together with america, Japan, and South Korea, the place main chipmakers are establishing new superior fabrication services. Nonetheless, Fujifilm has but to substantiate these plans formally.
The corporate is setting up a brand new facility in Shizuoka, Japan, with an funding of ¥13 billion ($83.27 million). The funding additionally contains buying new tools for a Pyeongtaek, South Korea facility that may change into operational by this fall. Fujifilm additionally earmarked funds to extend manufacturing at a plant in Cheonan, South Korea, by 30 % as soon as mass manufacturing commences in spring 2027. The corporate can be exploring potential alternatives in India, the place it could collaborate with native corporations or set up a three way partnership for chip materials manufacturing. It would take into account constructing services in India relying on shopper demand and market situations after the 2027 fiscal 12 months.
The funding marks a considerable enhance within the firm’s spending over the past three years, a response to the surging demand for semiconductor supplies. New fabrication vegetation by main corporations reminiscent of Intel and TSMC within the US, Kioxia and Micron in Japan, and Samsung and SK Hynix in South Korea have pushed this demand. As chipmakers make investments tens of billions of {dollars} into new manufacturing services, their ecosystem companions, together with Fujifilm, ramp up their investments to help the expansion spurt.
The corporate has recognized semiconductor supplies as an important development space and goals to double its gross sales on this sector to achieve ¥500 billion ($3.2 billion) by fiscal 2030. Fuji Keizai tasks the worldwide marketplace for chipmaking supplies to increase by 35 %, reaching $58.3 billion by 2029 in comparison with 2023 ranges.
Tom’s {Hardware} notes that Fujifilm ranks fifth globally in producing photosensitive semiconductor supplies and provides main chipmakers. It’s one in every of solely 5 producers of ultra-pure excessive ultraviolet (EUV) photoresists, alongside JSR, DuPont, Tokyo Ohka Kogyo, and Shin-Etsu Chemical. The EUV lithography course of operates at a particularly quick wavelength of 13.5 nanometers, necessitating that photoresists meet rigorous requirements for sensitivity, decision, line-edge roughness, and compatibility with EUV photomask supplies.
