Asahi Kasei adds slitting facility for dry film photoresist used in semiconductor packaging

On July 3, Asahi Kasei constructed a new slitting facility for SUNFORT dry film photoresist (DFR) at its manufacturing site in Tainan, Taiwan Region, China, meeting the growing demand for advanced semiconductor packaging. Commercial operations are scheduled to commence this month.

Asahi Kasei’s new slitting facility.

In recent years, demand for advanced semiconductor packaging has grown significantly, driven by AI and the resulting increase in data processing requirements. Accordingly, DFR used in semiconductor packaging must also meet increasingly stringent standards for both quality and supply reliability.

With an investment of approximately US$12 million, the new slitting facility is equipped with state-of-the-art machines and some of the most rigorous cleanroom standards for improved productivity and dependable supply. It will expand capacity by 40% with the potential to double current output.

SUNFORT DFR delivers ultra-high resolution with conventional stepper exposure systems and laser direct imaging (LDI) systems, which transfer circuit patterns onto substrates for packaging. This approach improves performance and precision in semiconductor manufacturing back-end processes.

Asahi Kasei’s investment in SUNFORT DFR aligns with the company’s positioning of its Electronics Business as a strategic growth driver. In May 2025, Asahi Kasei also launched SUNFORT TA, its newest DFR series tailored for advanced semiconductor packaging used in AI servers.