TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Asahi Kasei is expanding its presence in Taiwan with a new processing facility for semiconductor packaging materials, Nikkei Asia reported Friday.
The Japanese chemical manufacturer is investing about NT$400 million (US$12.5 million) in the plant, which is scheduled to begin operations this month. The facility will increase the company's processing capacity in Taiwan by about 40%, with room to double output in the future depending on demand.
The new plant will process Asahi Kasei’s Sunfort film photoresist, a material used to transfer circuit patterns onto semiconductor package substrates. It will add equipment to cut the films to customers’ specifications, shortening delivery times for manufacturers in Taiwan.
Demand for the material has risen as AI chips require larger, more complex package substrates with additional layers. Asahi Kasei, believed to be the world’s second-largest supplier of photoresist films for package substrates, is expanding local capacity to better serve customers in Taiwan, where AI semiconductor supply chains are anchored by TSMC, Nikkei Asia reported.
The company said the new facility will use automated production processes to improve efficiency while minimizing contamination. The upstream process of coating the films with photoresist will remain in Japan and China, although Asahi Kasei said it is monitoring market demand.
Beyond Sunfort films, Asahi Kasei also supplies photosensitive liquid resin and glass cloth used in chip substrates. The company is also accelerating plans to expand production of its Pimel photosensitive resin.
