FUJIFILM Corporation has completed a new production building at the Oita Factory of FUJIFILM Electronic Materials Co., Ltd. (FFEM), strengthening its manufacturing capabilities for post-CMP cleaners used in advanced semiconductor production. The facility began operations in August and will significantly increase Fujifilm’s ability to supply high-purity cleaning materials to the rapidly expanding semiconductor industry.
The investment comes as demand for advanced semiconductors continues to rise, supported by the rapid development of artificial intelligence, 5G, and Internet of Things technologies. AI data centers, in particular, are driving demand for high-performance chips that require increasingly sophisticated manufacturing processes.
Fujifilm said its semiconductor materials business recorded an average annual sales growth rate of approximately 20% between FY2021 and FY2025, making the segment an important contributor to the broader Fujifilm Group. To support this expansion, the company invested more than 100 billion yen between FY2021 and FY2024. These investments included capacity expansions for CMP slurries in Japan, the United States, and Taiwan, as well as increased production of polyimides in Japan and Belgium.
The company has also seen strong growth in demand for photosensitive dielectric materials used in advanced semiconductor packaging, including ZEMATES™. Fujifilm continues to invest across Japan, the United States, Europe, and Asia during FY2025 and FY2026 to strengthen its semiconductor materials portfolio.
Post-CMP cleaners are used following chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) to remove particles, trace metals, and organic residues while protecting semiconductor metal surfaces. As semiconductor manufacturers adopt more advanced fabrication processes, demand is increasing for both CMP slurries and the cleaning materials required after planarization.
Fujifilm is leveraging its ability to provide integrated CMP slurry and post-CMP cleaner solutions to expand sales globally. The company is particularly targeting customers in North America, Europe, and major semiconductor manufacturing hubs across Asia.
The growth outlook remains strong as chipmakers pursue greater miniaturization and 3D stacking technologies for AI applications. Fujifilm expects sales of its post-CMP cleaners to more than double by FY2030 from FY2024 levels.
The newly completed Oita facility includes automated manufacturing systems and quality evaluation equipment designed to meet the extremely high purity standards required for advanced semiconductor materials. The expansion will triple production capacity at the Oita Factory, positioning Fujifilm to capture additional growth in the advanced semiconductor market.
The facility also features rooftop solar panels. Fujifilm expects increased renewable energy use at the Oita Factory to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with manufacturing operations.
Product and Chemical Commodity Price Impact
Fujifilm’s capacity expansion is bullish for post-CMP cleaners and semiconductor specialty chemicals because it confirms strong long-term demand from AI chips, advanced packaging, and 3D semiconductor manufacturing. However, tripling Oita’s production capacity could improve cleaner availability and limit sharp price increases by easing supply constraints. For chemical commodities tracked by Chemanalyst, stronger semiconductor demand should support CMP slurries, polyimides, photosensitive dielectric materials, specialty solvents, and high-purity electronic chemicals, creating a positive demand outlook. Increased production capacity may moderate prices of post-CMP cleaning chemicals in the near term, while sustained AI-led semiconductor growth could keep prices of high-purity specialty chemicals firm over the medium term.
About ChemAnalyst
Leave a Comment
Comments (0)