FUJIFILM Corporation has completed a new production building for post-CMP cleaners at its Oita Factory in Japan, sharply expanding its capacity to supply materials used in advanced semiconductor manufacturing as demand for AI chips continues to surge.

 

The new facility, operated by FUJIFILM Electronic Materials Co., Ltd. (FFEM), began operations in August. Fujifilm said the investment will triple post-CMP cleaner production capacity at the Oita Factory, positioning the company to capture growing demand from advanced semiconductor applications, including AI data centers.

 

The expansion comes as the semiconductor industry undergoes rapid growth driven by artificial intelligence, 5G and IoT. Demand is particularly strong for advanced chips used in AI applications, fueling a corresponding increase in demand for the specialized materials required to manufacture them.

 

Fujifilm’s semiconductor materials business has grown at an average annual rate of approximately 20% in sales from FY2021 through FY2025, making it one of the Fujifilm Group’s key growth engines. The company invested more than ¥100 billion in the business between FY2021 and FY2024, expanding manufacturing capacity for CMP slurries in Japan, the United States and Taiwan, as well as polyimides in Japan and Belgium.

 

Fujifilm is continuing that investment across Japan, the United States, Europe and Asia during FY2025 and FY2026, targeting a broad range of materials used in next-generation semiconductor manufacturing.

 

Post-CMP cleaners are used after chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) to remove particles, trace metals and organic residues while protecting metal surfaces. As semiconductor structures become smaller and more complex, these cleaning processes are becoming increasingly critical to manufacturing yield.

 

Fujifilm expects sales of its post-CMP cleaners to more than double by FY2030 from FY2024 levels, driven by advances in semiconductor miniaturization and 3D stacking technologies needed to boost AI chip performance.

 

The company is also leveraging its ability to supply both CMP slurries and post-CMP cleaners as an integrated offering. Fujifilm is expanding sales globally, particularly in North America, Europe and major semiconductor manufacturing hubs across Asia, where demand for advanced chips remains strong.

 

The new Oita production building includes automated manufacturing systems and quality evaluation equipment designed to meet the extremely high purity standards required for cutting-edge semiconductor materials.

 

The expansion also includes a sustainability component. Solar panels have been installed on the roof of the new production building, allowing the Oita Factory to increase its use of renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its operations.

 

With AI driving a new wave of semiconductor investment, Fujifilm is betting that demand for the materials behind the most advanced chips will rise alongside it—and the expanded Oita facility is a major step in scaling up to meet that demand.