October 26, 2022

Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ion Technology Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President: Mitsukuni Tsukihara; a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.; hereinafter "SMIT") announces the completion of a new ion implanter factory on October 26. Details are as follows:

1. Objective for building the new factory
The global semiconductor market is expected to see steady growth, in part due to increased IT demand attributable to evolving 5G/6G and AI technologies and the COVID-19 situation. Against this backdrop, image sensors, which constitute SMIT's main market for ion implanters, is expected to maintain a high rate of growth for the foreseeable future, driven by demand for smartphones, electric vehicles, and automated driving. SMIT constructed the new factory to prepare the way toward further business expansion and enhance production and logistics.

2. Outline of the new factory
(1) Location: 1501 Imazaike, Saijo-shi, Ehime　
(2) Total investment: Approx. 12.0 billion yen
(3) Production capacity: Double the current capacity when combined with existing facilities
(4) Building area: 21,835.94 m2
(5) Total floor area: 38,394.64 m2

3. SMIT profile
(1) Business: Development, production, sales, and service of ion implanters
(2) Factory location: 1501 Imazaike, Saijo-shi, Ehime　
(3) Establishment: April 1983
(4) Capital: 480 million yen
(5) Net sales: Approximately 35 billion yen (FY2021)
(6) Number of employees: Approximately 530

4. What is an ion implanter?
An ion implanter is a device that implants accelerated ions into silicon wafers used as materials for semiconductor element structures. Ion implanters are indispensable in the production of semiconductor devices loaded in a wide variety of electrical products, including personal computers, smartphones, and automobiles.


External view of the new factory