Fujifilm is doubling its investment in materials for AI chips as production increases in the US, Japan and South Korea

As semiconductor production continues to grow in the US, Japan and South Korea, Fujifilm, not only a camera maker but also a major producer of semiconductor raw materials and one of the few suppliers of ultra-pure photoresists for EUV lithography, is doubling down on its investment in chip material production. targeting a $3.2 billion market by 2030.

Image source: GlobalFoundries

As a reminder, Fujifilm is the world’s fifth-largest producer of photosensitive materials for semiconductors and one of the top five manufacturers of ultra-pure photoresists for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, competing with other industry leaders including JSR, DuPont, Tokyo Ohka Kogyo and Shin-Etsu Chemical. Among its clients are such tech giants as TSMC and Samsung.

In an effort to strengthen its position in the supply chain, the company is also expanding production based on the location of its key customers. In particular, a new plant is being built in Japan in Shizuoka worth 13 billion yen ($83.27 million). In South Korea, the modernization of facilities in Pyeongtaek will be completed in the fall, and mass production of abrasive materials will begin in Cheonan by 2027.

The company intends to invest 100 billion Japanese yen ($640.5 billion) by March 2027 to expand its global semiconductor materials production, and is also considering entering the Indian market, which is actively developing its microelectronics production.

In the long term, Fujifilm plans to double its chip materials sales from 2024 to 500 billion yen ($3.2 billion) by 2030, consistent with Japan’s dominance of half the global key materials market. for semiconductors.