ICT Solutions
Creating and growing a “unique” ICT Solutions business that contributes to the
evolution of AI, beyond-5G, and other such technologies that can support safe and
pleasant infrastructure, healthy living, and a sustainable global environment
Business Vision
Challenges and needs of society
- Progress of digitalization
- Safe and pleasant infrastructure
- Healthy living
- Evolution of AI and beyond-5G that support a sustainable global environment
Issues
- Creating a system suitable for the fast pace of ICT customers
- Building a network with digital platform companies
- Strengthen research and development functions such as customer process compatibility evaluation
Market analysis and strategies
Risks and opportunities
- Market stagnation due to short supply of semiconductors
- Soaring raw material prices and supply chain disruptions due to heightened geopolitical risks
- Stagnation in global economy due to the renewed spread of COVID-19
- Continued solid expansion of semiconductor market and market for smartphones and other devices
- Rapid market expansion due to emergence and popularization of new devices such as XR
- Continued expansion of lithium-ion batteries and next-generation battery markets
- Emerging recycling needs associated with the trend to reduce waste plastics
Competitive advantages
- Unique products with high market share in the semiconductor and assembly field and in the imaging field
- Advanced technological capabilities, product quality, and technical support
- High brand power, especially in Asia
- Global customer base
- Ability to propose total solutions across the value chain
Strategies
Semiconductor & assembly solutions
- Aligning individual business strategies with our semiconductor technology roadmap, and creating new businesses and products through a Group-wide effort
Imaging solutions
- Developing and offering new optical materials that match the market’s growth from simply "photographing" to "viewing" and "sensing"
Battery material solutions
- Expanding our business in the realm of lithium-ion batteries while also bolstering our development of next-generation battery
Converting solutions
- Capturing Asian demand for high-performance packaging materials and environmental measures, and targeting industrial applications that make use of our packaging adhesives technology
Main Products
Semiconductor & assembly solutions
Dust covers for photomasks (
MITSUI PELLICLE™ ), silane/disilane,
soluble polyimide varnish ( PIVAR™ ), high frequency printed circuit board material (
Gigafreq™ ),
resist raw material (
MILEX™ ),
piezoelectric material (
PIEZOLA™ ),
semiconductor manufacturing process tapes ( ICROS™ Tape ),
silicone-coated film ( SP-PET™ ), heat-resistant release film ( Opulent™ )
Imaging solutions
Lens materials (
APEL™ ),
materials for reflective films (
TPX™ ),
LCD and OLED sealing materials (
STRUCTBOND™ ）
Battery material solutions
Capacitator material (
TPX™ ),
materials for LiB separator (
HI-ZEX MILLION™ ),
electrolyte for LiB ( MILLET™ ), adhesive for LiB pouch (
UNISTOLE™ ),
heat resistant coating material (
BONRON™)
Converting solutions
L-LDPE film ( T.U.X™ ), resource-saving and environmentally friendly L-LDPE film ( L-Smart™ ),
heat sealant for environmentally friendly paper packaging materials (
CHEMIPEARL™ ),
barrier coating materials ( TAKELAC™ WPB ), packaging adhesives (
TAKENATE™ &
TAKELAC™ )
Pick UpSemiconductor & assembly solutions: ICROS™ Tape
— A wide product lineup that contributes to improved quality of life —
ICROS™ Tape is a surface protection tape used during silicon wafer backgrinding in the manufacturing process for semiconductors that boasts the top market share in the world.
High growth is expected to continue in the semiconductor market due to the spread of AI utilization, progress in IoT, and the increasing functionality and efficiency of electronic devices in the automotive, industrial, and infrastructure sectors where efforts to achieve decarbonization and renewable energy are progressing.
In order to appropriately respond to such growing demand for semiconductors, we are expanding capacity at our Taiwanese plant (more than doubling the current capacity) aiming to start its commercial operation in October 2023, to expand the supply capacity of ICROS™ Tape together with the Nagoya Works in Japan, as well as to strengthen the BCP system. In addition to these applications, we are also focusing on development into new fields, aiming to expand our business areas by offering new products with high proposal capabilities, such as functional dicing tapes that combine heat resistance and pick-up performance, and thermal release adhesive tapes.
Strengthening competitiveness to create new businesses and products
Vertically integrated product development from molecular design and
synthesis technology to customer process compatibility evaluations
In the R&D function related to the ICT business, the Mitsui Chemicals Group has organized its current technologies and identified problem areas that need to be further strengthened, and formulated a basic policy to strengthen competitiveness for the creation of new businesses and new products. A key point in strengthening is that, in order to differentiate ourselves from our competitors, we will position molecular design and synthesis technology such as upstream inorganic and organic synthesis as our future core technologies, and systematically accumulate and strengthen them. At the same time, we will develop an infrastructure that enables on-site customer evaluations, including downstream customer process compatibility evaluations and technical services.
Furthermore, with the new establishment of the Innovative Solutions Center for Information & Communication Technology, we will pursue product superiority (uniqueness) by bringing together the core technologies of the Group.