Japan

12/01/1997

Japan

Sales of Japan-produced silicon were down during the first half of calendar 1997, but will pick up during the rest of the year, according to the Japan Society of New Metals (JSNM). JSNM has been forced to revise its current-year sales forecast downward. Epi wafer sales are rising smartly, and the group also reports that silicon vendors in Japan had a fine year for the period ending in March 1997, despite the shipment downturn. The JSNM figures show unit shipments from the organization`s nine member firms (including Japan subsidiaries of foreign companies) down by 9.8% in the first half of this calendar year, with domestic (in Japan) shipments dipping 11% and exports 7.4%. The decrease is primarily due to production cutbacks by DRAM manufacturers. The organization believes that total sales for this calendar year will be flat with 1996 sales at about 4000 metric tons.

CMP equipment supplier Ebara Corp., Tokyo, is ramping capacity at its Fujisawa plant and is reportedly eyeing production line start-ups in Korea and the US. Already the leading vacuum pump manufacturer in Japan, Ebara is projecting its 1997 fiscal year CMP equipment sales will total $104 million, with domestic sales alone totaling 6.9 billion yen ($57 million). Current plans call for the company to increase production capacity to 20 units/month at its Fujisawa plant in Kanagawa Prefecture. For fiscal year 1997, Ebara expects to ship 150 units, with 45% of those shipments headed overseas.

MEMC Electronic Materials` subsidiary, MEMC Japan, Tokyo, is planning to build an 8 billion yen ($65.4 million) 300-mm R&D center in its Utsunomiya plant in Tochigi Prefecture. Toyo Engineering has been chosen as the contractor for the R&D center, which is expected to be completed by the middle of next year.

Toshiba Corp., Tokyo, will build a 50 billion yen ($410 million) facility for low temperature polysilicon-based color TFT-LCDs in its Fukaya Plant, Saitama Prefecture. Operations are slated to begin by the end of 1998, when the company will begin processing 400 ? 500 mm glass plates. Production capacity will be equivalent to 100,000, 12.1-in. displays/month.

Sony Corp., Tokyo, and Toyoda Automatic Loom Works. Ltd., Aichi Prefecture, will begin construction on a 50 billion yen ($410 million) manufacturing facility. The two firms have established ST Liquid Crystal Display Corp., based in Aichi, and have capitalized the company at 8 billion yen ($65.6 million). Operations at the joint venture facility are scheduled to begin in the spring of 1999. Initial production capacity is expected at 6000 panels/month, with a ramp up to 15,000 planned for the following year. Sony will purchase all of the facility`s panels, to be used for high-definition television display applications.