FUJIFILM Corporation announces a capital investment of approximately 6 billion yen (US$41.1 million) in its Kumamoto site in Japan 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 color filter materials used in image sensors. Specifically, it will locate the facility 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.

Higher Demand from Automotive, Security

Image sensors are a type of semiconductor that converts light into electrical signals for visual display. They are used in digital cameras, smartphones and other electronic devices. Recently, there has been an expansion of image sensor applications in automobiles and security devices. As a result, the image sensor market is expected to grow at a rate of 7% per annum^*1.

FUJIFILM manufactures color filter materials for image sensors in Shizuoka, Japan as well as in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Also, the company is building a new color filter materials production site in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. Accordingly, this increases the company’s production sites. In addition, FUJIFILM is promoting the development and introduction of products that target a wider range of wavelengths beyond the visible light range. It leverages its expertise in advanced functional molecular technology and nano-dispersion technology. Further, it is introducing color filter materials or the Wave Control Mosaic (WCM)^*2 to expand the business.

Meanwhile, FFEM is introducing the latest production facility at FFMT Kyushu. This aims to increase its production capacity for color filter materials for 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. Thus, it ensures business continuity planning to provide greater stability in product supply.

Global Production Structure

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 color filter materials for image sensors and fulfill 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 Jan. 2024, FFMT Kyushu will begin full-scale operation of a new production facility for CMP slurries^*3, 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 Oct. 2023. Leveraging the resulting strengthening of its broad product lineup and global supply structure, as well as its advanced R&D capabilities and solid trusting relationships with customers, the company is striving to accelerate its business growth, aiming for 500 billion yen in revenues in the global Electronic Materials business by FY2030. The company will continue to contribute to the development of the semiconductor industry through the development and supply of cutting-edge semiconductor materials.

^*1 According to “CCD & CMOS market’s marketing analysis for H1 2023” by the market research company, Techno System Research

^*2 General term referring to a group of functional materials for controlling electromagnetic light waves in a broad range of wavelengths, including photosensitive color materials for manufacturing color filters for image sensors such as CMOS sensors, used in digital cameras and smartphones

^*3 CMP slurry is a polisher for evenly levelling semiconductor surface, which contains a mixture of wires and insulation films of varying hardness.