Japan’s Mitsubishi Chemical Group has reportedly decided to commercialize ultra-high purity colloidal silica for cutting-edge semiconductor processes and will build a new production facility at the Fukuoka district of its Kyushu Plant in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture. The target for commercial operation is reported to be October 2028.
The new facility is reportedly intended to produce ultra-high-purity colloidal silica used as a raw material for silicon wafer polishing slurry and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) slurry. Mitsubishi Chemical reportedly applies its own integrated production process, based on ultra-high-purity tetramethoxysilane as the raw material, without any external technology licensor, allowing it to minimize impurity content and adjust particle size and density to customer requirements, it is reported. Mitsubishi Chemical Group has reportedly cultivated its semiconductor materials business as one of the group’s core growth pillars, and this investment is also reported to be aimed at expanding material supply capacity in response to the progress of advanced logic and memory semiconductor miniaturization.
As semiconductor miniaturization advances, purity standards required for materials used in wafer polishing processes are becoming increasingly stringent, and this investment is interpreted as part of Mitsubishi Chemical’s strategy to strengthen its position in the advanced semiconductor materials market, it is reported. The Japanese government has also designated the semiconductor materials and components industry as a key sector for economic security and has supported related investment, and this project is reported to be in line with that policy direction as well. Implications for Korea’s Industry
Korea’s semiconductor materials and components industry is also reported to need to closely monitor trends in diversifying and localizing the supply chain for ultra-high-purity polishing materials.
Whether commercial operation begins as targeted in October 2028, and the status of supply agreements with major semiconductor manufacturers following the start of operations, are cited as points to watch, it is reported.