DuPont expands photoresist manufacturing capacity
DuPont has completed a significant expansion for photoresist manufacturing capacity at the DuPont Sasakami Site in Agano-shi, Niigata, Japan.
The project was celebrated on Thursday, Oct. 3, with a traditional Japanese Tamagushi Houten Ceremony, symbolizing wishes for continued success, prosperity and peace. The event was attended by global DuPont leaders and distinguished guests, including Hiroyuki Kato, Mayor, Agano city, Koji Sumi, Manager, Industrial Location Division, Niigata Prefecture, Sang Ho Kang, Vice President & General Manager, Semiconductor Technologies, DuPont Electronics & Industrial and Takayuki Ohba, President, DuPont Japan Kabushiki Kaisha.
The event commemorated the opening of a new building named the East Star, a component of DuPont’s growth strategy for its lithography offerings, inspired by the guiding light of the stars. With this expansion, DuPont has now nearly doubled its photoresist production capacity at the site, improving its ability to meet increasing global demand and providing stable, reliable supply for customers.
The East Star Building features state-of-the-art cleanrooms with air cleanliness standards ranging from ISO Class 10 to Class 1000 for the production of high-quality photoresists. Additionally, advanced automation systems have been implemented to reduce contamination risks and maintain a controlled, hygienic environment.
“DuPont’s Sasakami site has been integral to the long-term growth of our electronic materials portfolio, well-located for serving customers throughout the Asia-Pacific region,” said Sang Ho Kang, Vice President & General Manager, Semiconductor Technologies, DuPont Electronics & Industrial. “With the opening of this new state-of-the-art facility, we are equipped to meet global customer needs for advanced photoresists now and into the future, as part of our commitment to be their Partner of Choice.”
Hiroyuki Kato, Mayor, Agano City, added “DuPont has been a longstanding partner in driving the local economy and creating quality jobs. We appreciate DuPont’s continued dedication to supporting our community, and I hope this expansion will further strengthen local business clusters.”
Established in 1983, the DuPont Sasakami site manufactures a range of photoresists for microlithography and metallization chemicals for plating applications. With this expansion, DuPont expects to create over 50 new local jobs in the coming years, including positions in R&D, engineering, quality, manufacturing and other roles.
