Fujifilm to invest $26M in Belgium for CMP slurries
Fujifilm is making an investment of approximately 4 billion yen (around 25 million EUR or 26 million USD) to expand the production capacity of its Belgium site, based in Zwijndrecht, Antwerp.
Japan’s Fujifilm Corporation has announced it will install new production facilities of CMP slurries advanced semiconductor materials, and enhance existing facilities for photolithography-related materials at its production site in Belgium.
In Europe, where demand for automotive semiconductors and industrial semiconductors supporting the DX of manufacturing processes at factories is expected to grow, Fujifilm is making an investment of approximately 4 billion yen (around 25 million EUR or 26 million USD) to expand the production capacity of its Belgium site, based in Zwijndrecht, Antwerp, according to a media release.
“We are pleased to announce Fujifilm’s continued commitment to expanding our semiconductor materials production capabilities here in Zwijndrecht,” said Hans Vloeberghs, President & Managing Director, FUJIFILM Electronic Materials Europe, as quoted in Manufacturing Digital. “In response to the increasing demand from our customers, particularly in the automotive and industrial sectors, this 25 million EUR investment will enable us to establish new production facilities for CMP slurries, while also enhancing our existing facilities for photolithography-related materials.”
Driven by high-speed, high-capacity communications through 5G/6G, the expansion of autonomous driving, and the spread of AI and the metaverse, demand for semiconductors is expected to increase and their performance is projected to advance as well.
The Japanese company is making proactive growth investments in the semiconductor materials business. Globally, Fujifilm plans to invest a total of 170 billion yen in growth, including research and development and capital investments, over the three years from fiscal 2024 to 2026.
Fujifilm is rapidly making capital investments to expand the production capacity of semiconductor materials, the company said. The recent investment includes the enhancement of the development, production, and quality evaluation functions for advanced resists at its Shizuoka and Pyeongtaek, Korea sites, as well as the expansion of the CMP slurry production facilities at its Kumamoto site in Japan.
This time, to expand Fujifilm’s production capacity to supply the growing semiconductor market in Europe, FUJIFILM Electronic Materials (Europe) N.V., Fujifilm’s semiconductor materials subsidiary in Europe, is making a capital investment of approximately 4 billion yen (25 million EUR).
It introduces new production facilities for CMP slurries, which are used in advanced semiconductors and are expected to show a high annual growth rate of 13%.
In addition to existing CMP slurry production sites in Arizona, US, Hsinchu and Tainan of Taiwan, Cheonan, South Korea, and Kikuyo Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, this network will be expanded by this new production capability in Belgium.
This will create a global production network of six locations, ensuring a more stable supply of CMP slurries. In addition, Fujifilm will enhance the production facilities for developer used in the photolithography process at the Belgium site. This will help the company meet the increasing demand for automotive and industrial semiconductors in Europe and respond to the high-quality requirements of its customers.
The new CMP slurry production facilities and the enhanced developer production facilities are both scheduled to start operation in the spring of 2026.
