Japan’s Competitive Advantage in Semiconductor Materials

Resonac, formed from the merger of the former Showa Denko and Hitachi Chemical, is a leading manufacturer of semiconductor materials. Semiconductor manufacturing includes front-end processes for circuit formation and back-end processes for packaging, with Resonac excelling in the latter. The company has a leading global share of six types of materials used in back-end processes.

Semiconductor materials must protect circuits from thermal shock, ensure insulation, adhesion, and heat resistance. The rise of AI-generated content has increased the demand for advanced semiconductors. A key focus in improving performance is advanced packaging, where multiple chips with different functions are stacked in a single package. Resonac’s materials, especially their adhesive sheets, are in high demand. These sheets provide secure attachment of memory chips, bond electrodes, and maintain uniform thinness, improving computing power and reducing energy consumption.

To explore Resonac’s strengths, we visited their development center in Kawasaki. The Packaging Solution Center, an open development facility, houses all back-end production equipment, which greatly accelerates the development speed. In addition, Resonac has established the Joint 2 consortium with 14 other companies to address the challenges of next-generation semiconductor manufacturing.

Japan remains strong in materials, equipment and substrates. The challenge is to maintain and expand this strength through cooperation rather than competition. The creation of Resonac arose from the acquisition of Hitachi Chemical by Showa Denko for 960 billion yen, orchestrated by Takahashi, then head of strategic planning.

Takahashi sees the establishment of Resonac as creating a new company and considers himself a founder. Resonac aims to evolve from a petrochemical-focused company to a global leader in functional materials. A key focus for Takahashi is to foster competitive talent. Imai, the head of HR, emphasizes that the core of the company’s value lies in innovative, frontline employees who collaborate across departments.

At a recent “Moyamoya” meeting in Kawasaki, employees voiced their concerns and brainstormed solutions using Resonac’s core values. Takahashi and Imai have held 50 such meetings, fostering a culture of open dialogue. Ensuring psychological safety is essential for fostering innovation.

In an interview, Takahashi discussed Japan’s semiconductor strength. While Japan’s semiconductor businesses have declined, equipment and materials businesses remain strong and hold the largest global shares in many back-end materials. Resonac excels at combining resin-based organic materials with inorganic fillers, a process that requires extensive collaboration with customers to optimize formulations.

The Joint 2 consortium enables simultaneous collaboration with equipment and material manufacturers, improving development efficiency. This consortium is crucial for the development of next-generation packaging solutions, where memory and logic chips are stacked on a single substrate.

Resonac is also setting up a similar platform in Silicon Valley, expecting tech giants like Google, Apple and Amazon to design their own AI semiconductors. This joint US initiative aims to work with these companies from the concept stage, ensuring that Resonac’s materials meet future needs.

Takahashi sees continuous innovation and collaboration as the key to maintaining Resonac’s competitive advantage in the fast-growing semiconductor market.

Source: TBS