Japan's Shin-Etsu Chemical to invest $545 mln in chip materials plant

Shin-Etsu Chemical

09/04/2024 04:01

TOKYO, April 9 (Reuters) - Japan semiconductor materials
maker Shin-Etsu Chemical  4063.T  said on Tuesday it will invest
around 83 billion yen ($545 million) in a factory in Gunma
prefecture in the latest effort to strengthen the country's chip
supply chain. 
    The factory will produce lithography materials for use in
chipmaking, with the first phase of investment to be completed
by 2026 as Shin-Etsu looks to tap into growing customer demand
and diversify its production base. 
    Shin-Etsu, which makes lithography materials including
photoresists and photomask blanks, already has facilities in
Niigata prefecture, Fukui prefecture and Taiwan. It will use its
own funds for the investment in the new factory.
    Japan is seeing a wave of investment in its semiconductor
sector, which supplies chips essential to the defence,
automotive and electronics industries, with the government
supporting the expansion of capacity by domestic and foreign
chipmakers. 
($1 = 151.8700 yen)

 (Reporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by Jamie Freed)
 ((sam.nussey@tr.com;))