Nippon Mining & Metals to Expand Sputtering Target Material

Nippon Mining & Metals announced on Wednesday the firm expands the output capacity of sputtering target material to meet growing demand. The firm expands the capacity mainly at Isohara plant in Ibaraki. The firm increases the capacity of target material for semiconductor to 1.5 times from now and increases the target material output capacity by around 50% for magnetic recording media including hard disc. The firm also expands the capacity to produce target material for flat panel display by around 25%. The firm expends around 10 billion yen in 2 and half year to March 2009. The firm increases the output of copper, cobalt and tungsten as material for target for semiconductor with 300 millimeters diameter. The firm builds new plant for around 6 billion yen starting the operation in April 2007 and completing in March 2009. The firm also builds new plant to increase the output capacity of platinum group metals magnetic materials for magnetic recording media including hard disc. The firm secures space for additional expansion in the new plant. The firm establishes mass production system for platinum group metals magnetic materials for vertical magnetic recording. The firm spends around 1.7 billion yen starting the operation in October 2007. The firm increases the output capacity of upper stream operation to sinter process of indium tin oxide for flat panel display by around 25% at Isohara plant. The output capacity will increase to 50 tonnes per month in May 2007 compared with estimated around 40 tonnes now.