Sumitomo Chemical to Make Additional Investment in South Korean Subsidiary to Further Strengthen Its Semiconductor Chemicals Business
Enhancing the Development System for Chemicals for Advanced Semiconductors

May. 13, 2025

To improve the quality of semiconductor chemicals and accelerate the development of cutting-edge products, Sumitomo Chemical has decided to invest in the construction of a new cleanroom for advanced materials and expand process verification lines at the Iksan Research Laboratory of Dongwoo Fine-Chem Co., Ltd. (“Dongwoo Fine-Chem”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company located in South Korea. The new facilities are scheduled to begin operations sequentially starting in fiscal 2026.

As the structures of advanced semiconductors become more complex, new demands have emerged for high-purity chemicals that support sophisticated process cleaning and functional chemicals that enhance the performance of semiconductors. Leveraging the system enhancement through this investment, the Sumitomo Chemical Group will accelerate the development of ultra-high-purity chemicals that address the ultra-miniaturization of advanced semiconductors, as well as functional chemicals that meet new needs for advanced processes and back-end process materials, such as selective etchants, thinners for cutting-edge photoresists, and in-process cleaners.

Dongwoo Fine-Chem, which serves as a core subsidiary of the Sumitomo Chemical Group’s ICT-related business, is actively expanding its operations primarily in East Asia and the United States. Since its establishment in 1991, the company has built strong partnerships with major ICT enterprises and earned high recognition in the fields of semiconductor-related materials and display materials. In the semiconductor chemicals business in particular, the company boasts a robust quality assurance system based on ultra-high-purity refinement technologies and advanced analytical technologies and a flexible supply system, and has established itself as a global leading company trusted by advanced semiconductor manufacturers.

As semiconductor manufacturers continue to make large-scale investments, Dongwoo Fine-Chem is striving to further strengthen its production and development systems. It has expanded capacity at existing plants and secured new factory sites, as well as opened a new research and development center dedicated to discovering new materials for next-generation semiconductors. This new R&D center, located in Pangyo Techno Valley near Seoul, began operations in October 2024.

Through this investment, the Sumitomo Chemical Group aims to strengthen its world-leading position in the field of high-purity chemicals in terms of both quality and quantity, while also working to expand its lineup in the functional chemicals field. By doing so, the Group aims to double the revenue that was generated in each of these fields in fiscal 2024 by fiscal 2030.

The Sumitomo Chemical Group has positioned semiconductor materials as one of its medium- to long-term growth areas and continues to actively invest in photoresists, semiconductor chemicals, and compound semiconductors. The Group remains committed to contributing to the development of the semiconductor industry, which is indispensable for the spread of next-generation communication technologies and achieving a smart society that fully utilizes innovative technologies, such as AI and autonomous driving.

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