Asahi Kasei has strengthened its semiconductor materials manufacturing footprint in Taiwan with the completion of a new slitting facility for its SUNFORT dry film photoresist (DFR) at its Tainan production site. 

 

The facility was completed on July 3 and is scheduled to begin commercial operations later this month, as per the company.

 

The expansion comes as demand for advanced semiconductor packaging continues to accelerate, fueled by the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and rising data processing requirements. As a result, manufacturers increasingly require DFR materials that deliver higher quality standards alongside greater supply reliability.

 

Asahi Kasei has been slitting SUNFORT DFR at its Tainan site since 1997. With Taiwan serving as a global hub for semiconductor packaging companies, the company said strengthening local production capabilities is essential to ensuring rapid, reliable supply for customers.

 

Slitting—the process of cutting master rolls of film into customer-specific widths—is a critical manufacturing step that directly affects both product quality and supply reliability. To support rising market demand, the new facility features state-of-the-art slitting equipment and some of the industry's most stringent cleanroom standards, improving both productivity and manufacturing consistency.

 

Backed by an investment of approximately ¥2 billion (about $12 million or €11 million), the facility will increase current slitting capacity by 40%, with the potential to double existing output in the future.

 

SUNFORT DFR is designed to deliver ultra-high resolution with both conventional stepper exposure systems and laser direct imaging (LDI) systems used to transfer circuit patterns onto semiconductor packaging substrates. The technology enhances performance and precision in semiconductor back-end manufacturing processes.

 

The investment underscores Asahi Kasei's strategy of positioning its Electronics Business as a key growth engine.