DIC Corporation (TOKYO:4631) today announced that on June 1, 2023, it acquired 100% of the shares of Quebec-based PCAS Canada Inc. from French based company PCAS S.A., which manufactures and sells polymers used in photoresists for semiconductor photolithography.

The semiconductor market is growing worldwide and its importance is increasing with the development and proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, artificial intelligence and other advanced information technologies. In this environment, DIC -- which seeks to contribute to a society that is increasingly digital, as set forth in its DIC Vision 2030 long-term management plan -- has positioned expanding its lineup of photoresist* materials, which are indispensable to semiconductor fabrication, as a key strategy in the area of products for digital applications and is promoting the development of state-of-the-art photoresist polymers.†

PCAS Canada, which has a manufacturing site southeast of Montreal, boasts outstanding production technologies and mass production know-how, and excels in delivering photoresist materials with the superior purity and low metal content required for use in semiconductor photolithography. DIC is confident that the combination of these production technologies with its own synthesis technologies, a key strength, will enhance its ability to respond to the needs of the semiconductor industry, which continues to be driven by technological progress, thus further contributing to digital innovation.

PCAS Canada has since been renamed “Innovation DIC Chimitroniques Inc.” (English company name: “Innovation DIC Chemitronics Inc.”). Looking forward, DIC will work to expedite the company’s development of products for cutting-edge processes, make capital investments to strengthen its supply capabilities, and create a corporate organization suited to the needs of DIC Group customers in both North America and Asia. Through these efforts, DIC will continue to supply materials that underpin the growth and evolution of the semiconductor industry.

* Photoresist is a photosensitive material essential to the production of semiconductors and displays. Photoresist is coated on a substrate to protect selected areas. Light is then used to transfer a pattern from an optical mask to the coated substrate. In semiconductor photolithography, photoresists are crucial to the formation of fine electronic circuits on silicon wafers.

† Photoresist polymers are special polymers that are one of the main components of photoresists. The properties of these polymers facilitate the creation of fine patterns on silicon wafers, enabling the manufacture of sophisticated electronics devices.

About DIC Corporation

DIC Corporation is one of the world’s leading fine chemicals companies and the core of the DIC Group, a multinational organization comprising over 190 companies, including Sun Chemical Corporation, in more than 60 countries and territories. The DIC Group is recognized as a global leader in the markets for a variety of products essential to modern lifestyles, including packaging materials, display materials such as those used in television and computer displays, and high-performance materials for smartphones and other digital devices, as well as for automobiles. With annual consolidated net sales exceeding ¥1 trillion and 22,000-plus employees worldwide, we pledge to continue working in close cooperation with our customers wherever they are.

Website: https://www.dic-global.com/en/

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