Mitsubishi Materials to Expand Capacity for Polycrystalline Silicon

Electronic materials & components company of Mitsubishi Materials will expand the output capacity for polycrystalline silicon ingot by total 16% toward March 2008 to improve productive bottlenecks at the domestic and overseas plants. The company also plans to introduce additional productive equipment to expand the capacity much larger during the 3-year management plan starting in April 2007. The affiliate of Mitsubishi Materials and the main user of polycrystalline silicon, SUMCO currently enjoys favorable shipment of monocrystalline silicon wafer, especially large sized wafer with 300 millimeters diameter. Mitsubishi Materials will increase investment for the silicon business when the supply of polycrystalline silicon ingot is tight for semiconductors.Mitsubishi Materials will expand the output capacity for polycrystalline silicon ingot by 9% to 1,800 tonnes per year from current 1,650 tonnes toward March 2008 at its subsidiary, Mitsubishi Materials Polycrystalline Silicon in Mie Prefecture, Japan. Mitsubishi Materials will also expand the output capacity by 25% to 1,500 tonnes per year from current 1,200 tonnes toward summer 2007 at the US subsidiary, Mitsubishi Polycrystalline Silicon America in Alabama.Electronic materials & components company of Mitsubishi Materials enjoys favorable demand for silicon related products, mainly polycrystalline silicon for semiconductor wafer. The firm cannot meet the strong demand despite of full operations at Yokkaichi plant and Suzuka plant of Mitsubishi Materials Polycrystalline Silicon and Alabama plant of Mitsubishi Polycrystalline Silicon America.