2016.02.09
EBARA CORPORATION
EBARA CORPORATION (“EBARA”) has resolved to expand its Kumamoto Plant, the core production plant for its Precision Machinery Business, in order to cater flexibly to capital investment in semiconductors, demand for which is expected to continue growing steadily, and customers’ increasingly diverse needs. The expansion will involve adding a new plant, roughly the same scale as the existing plant facilities in the Kumamoto District, and will be the first large-scale capital investment for EBARA’s Precision Machinery Business since the completion of the Kumamoto Plant in 2001. The new plant is designed as a highly flexible production facility, capable of producing a full range of semiconductor manufacturing devices, including CMP devices as the company’s core production models. There will be an emphasis on reducing environmental impact and maintaining harmony with the surrounding environment, including halving the amount of electricity used for clean room air conditioning and recycling at least 95% of water used in production processes, in the interests of coexistence with the local community. EBARA is also planning to build a new service plant, as an overhaul facility for dry vacuum pumps, particularly for the Kyushu and Chugoku regions.
Moving forward, EBARA remains committed to supplying high performance semiconductor manufacturing devices in line with the needs of its customers, and to expanding and enhancing its service and support capabilities, in an effort to contribute to the development of the semiconductor industry.
[Overview of plans]
1)
Overview of the Kumamoto District
Location：4000-1 Koei, Nankan-machi, Tamana-gun, Kumamoto prefecture
Site area：Approximately 140,000m2
2)
Overview of plans for new plant
Facilities：Production of semiconductor manufacturing devices, and servicing and support for dry vacuum pumps
Building area：Approximately 12,000m2
Work to commence：March 2016
Operations scheduled to commence：December 2016
Investment：Approximately ¥6.8 billion
[Background to construction of the new plant]
According to sources such as the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS), the semiconductor market is expected to see steady growth between now and 2017. Market growth is likely to be spurred on in the future based on other factors too, including increased demand in the auto, energy and medical sectors, and the development of the Internet of Things (IoT) as all manner of items become connected to the internet. Semiconductor manufacturing devices will therefore have to meet an increasingly wide range of needs, in terms of applications and manufacturing processes.
With that in mind, EBARA conducted an in-depth review of production, distribution and procurement strategies throughout its Precision Machinery Business, including the division of capabilities with the Fujisawa Plant (Fujisawa, Kanagawa prefecture), its other domestic precision production facility. As a result, EBARA decided to push ahead with the construction of a new plant in the Kumamoto District to ensure flexible production capabilities, as the best option from the standpoint of improving global competitiveness and enhancing business value within this sector. As well as doubling existing production capacity at the Kumamoto Plant, this will also enable more flexible production operations in line with customers’ needs and deadlines, including at the Fujisawa Plant. EBARA intends to focus on optimizing production capabilities at both of its sites in Fujisawa and Kumamoto in the future, in line with market needs and product strategies. This will ensure that EBARA can flexibly cater to customers’ needs and expands its business in the rapidly changing semiconductor industry.