Planar Solutions LLC becomes Fujifilm’s wholly owned subsidiary

NORTH KINGSTOWN, USA: Fujifilm announced that, through its subsidiary, FUJIFILM Electronic Materials USA, Inc., it has acquired from Wacker Chemical Corp., the remaining 50 percent of the Planar Solutions, LLC membership interests not previously held by Fujifilm.

As a result, Planar Solutions became Fujifilm’s wholly owned subsidiary as of December 1, 2010 and has been renamed FUJIFILM Planar Solutions, LLC. In 2005, Fujifilm acquired 50% of Planar Solutions’ membership interests from Arch Chemicals, Inc. and since then has been a joint managing partner of Planar Solutions with WACKER.

FUJIFILM Planar Solutions specializes in the manufacture and sales of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) slurries for polishing silicon wafers. These slurries produce smooth and ultra-low defect wafer surfaces and remove excess processing materials during the production of semiconductor electronic devices such as microprocessors and memory chips.

FUJIFILM Planar Solutions’ leading-edge technologies have resulted in a global offering of enabling and high quality CMP products used by semiconductor device makers in the United States, Europe and Asia.

“The acquisition of Planar Solutions is part of the global FUJIFILM Electronic Material Division’s strategy to supply a broad line of fundamentally enabling materials to the semiconductor device manufacturing industry,” said Takashi Iwasaki, president, FUJIFILM Electronic Materials USA.

“The Electronic Materials Division has been closely collaborating with FUJIFILM Planar Solutions in all areas of the business, allowing this new business entity to be integrated seamlessly and to build rapidly on each other’s technology, manufacturing and technical service strengths. Fujifilm’s strategic plan shows electronic materials as one of its key strategic growth areas, so by adding CMP slurry products to our existing portfolio, we will greatly expand our electronic materials business and further contribute to the growth and progress of the semiconductor industry.”

FUJIFILM Planar Solutions operates a manufacturing and R&D facility in Mesa, AZ and will also manufacture CMP slurry products at the WACKER manufacturing facility in Adrian, MI under a manufacturing and operating service agreement with WACKER. FUJIFILM Planar Solutions will continue to strengthen its business infrastructure through closer affiliation and alignment with the global FUJIFILM Electronic Materials Division business entities.