Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. (Tokyo, Japan; www.shinetsu.co.jp) will establish a new plant in Taiwan, aiming for the expansion of its photoresists-related business. Presently, Shin-Etsu is applying to the Taiwan authorities for a construction permit, and the construction work will be started as soon as permission is received. The construction period is estimated to be about one year, and the investment amount is expected to be about 13 billion JPY.
A photoresist is a photosensitive polymer material essential in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices. They are used in the semiconductor lithography process, a process of forming patterns coated with a photoresist by exposing integrated circuits to light through a mask, and developing high precision three-dimensional patterns on the silicon substrate after heat treatment.
The demand for photoresists-related products is growing in Asia and the United States with the increase in production volume of semiconductor devices and advances in microfabrication. By carrying out the production of photoresists-related products in Taiwan, one of the areas of growing demand, Shin-Etsu Chemical plans to steadily capture the growing demand for photoresists. Moreover, by having two production bases for photoresists-related products – the combination of the existing Naoetsu Plant and the new Taiwan Plant – Shin-Etsu will be able to achieve the dispersion of business risks and further strengthen the company’s photoresists business.