FUJIFILM Corporation announced a capital investment of approximately ¥6 billion ($41.2 million/ €37.7 million) in its Kumamoto site to further expand its Electronic Materials business.
FUJIFILM Electronic Materials Co., Ltd. (FFEM), the core company that leads Fujifilm’s Electronic Materials business, will install a production facility for colour filter materials used in image sensors at the Kyushu site of its manufacturing subsidiary, FUJIFILM Material Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (FFMT Kyushu). This facility is expected to start operations in the spring of 2025.
Image sensors, a type of semiconductor that converts light into electrical signals for visual display, are used in digital cameras, smartphones and other electronic devices. With the recent expansion of image sensor applications in automobiles and security devices, the image sensor market is expected to grow at a rate of 7% per annum.
FFEM is introducing the latest production facility at FFMT Kyushu to expand its production capacity for colour filter materials to be used in image sensors. The facility will feature a Clean Room and state-of-the-art quality assessment equipment, establishing a solid quality assurance structure. The production and quality assurance structure will be at the same level as the Shizuoka site, ensuring business continuity planning to provide greater stability in product supply.
Fujifilm will establish a global production structure with a total of four sites. This structure will enable Fujifilm to ensure stable production and distribution of high-quality colour filter materials for image sensors and fulfil its supply responsibility as the market leader. Fujifilm will expand sales of WCM by accelerating the launch of new products that meet customer needs.
In addition, by the end of January 2024, FFMT Kyushu is scheduled to begin full-scale operation of a new production facility for CMP slurries, a basic material in semiconductor manufacturing.
Fujifilm acquired the semiconductor high purity process chemicals (HPPC) business of U.S. semiconductor materials manufacturer, Entegris, Inc. in October 2023. Leveraging the resulting strengthening of its broad product line up and global supply structure, as well as its advanced R&D capabilities and solid trusting relationships with customers, the company said it is striving to accelerate its business growth, with the goal of achieving ¥500 billion ($3.43 billion/ €3.14 billion) in revenues in the global Electronic Materials business by FY2030.
