August 9, 2007
Asahi Kasei EMD Corp.

New production line for pellicles for 10G LCD panels
 
Asahi Kasei EMD will construct a production line for large photomask pellicles compatible with the 10th-generation (10G) LCD panel production process. The new line will be the third at the company's pellicle production facility in Nobeoka, Japan, with completion scheduled for November 2008.

Used in the production of LCD panels and semiconductors, pellicles prevent the adherence of dust on photomasks which could cause imaging defects during photolithographic exposure. Demand for LCD panels is increasing in applications ranging from cell phones and PDAs to notebook PCs, desktop PC monitors, and TVs. Demand for larger LCD TVs in particular has been extraordinary, resulting in growth in the market for large pellicles together with successive increases in the size of pellicles required, and these trends are forecast to continue.

Since its world-leading commercialization of large pellicles for LCD panel production in 1990, Asahi Kasei EMD has led the development of large pellicles and is now the de facto standard supplier in this product segment. The new production line will be capable of producing pellicles compatible with recently established standards for the 10G process for LCD panels, and will bring a significant increase in production capacity commensurate with the solid growth outlook for large pellicle demand worldwide.

The construction of this new line is in accordance with a determination and commitment by Asahi Kasei EMD to maintain its market-leading position by ensuring the stable supply of large pellicles through a sales network that includes Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, and the company will continue to advance the development of pellicles in anticipation of forthcoming requirements for larger LCD panels and finer-pattern exposure processes.

Outline of the new line
Location: Nobeoka, Miyazaki, Japan
Product: Pellicles for LCD panel production, up to 10G-standard
Groundbreaking: October 2007
Completion: November 2008
 
Asahi Kasei EMD corporate profile
President: Makoto Konosu
Head office: Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Paid-in capital: ¥3 billion
Shareholding: 100% by Asahi Kasei Corp.
Employees: ≈2,600
Business line: Production and sale of electronic materials and electronic devices, as a core operating company of the Asahi Kasei Group.

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