Mitsui Mining & Smelting to Keep Full Supply of Micro Thin Copper Foil for Jul-Sep

Mitsui Mining & Smelting will continue full capacity production of ultra-thin electrolytic copper foil, named Micro Thin series, for July-September. Micro Thin is adopted to more than 90% of smart phones worldwide. Mitsui Mining & Smelting examines alternate production of carrier copper foil at overseas if Ageo plant in Saitama Prefecture, Japan becomes difficult to keep full shipment of Micro Thin under electricity supply regulation during July-September. The firm started sample shipment of alternately produced carrier foil in April.

Micro Thin is widely adopted to smart phones and other digital appliances. Mitsui Mining & Smelting expanded the output capacity to 1 million square meters per month at the end of 2010 from previous 600,000 square meters in order to meet the users’ demand for stable material supply. The firm temporarily suspended electrolytic copper foil production due to TEPCO’s planned power outage after Japan Earthquake while the production returned to full in late April.

Micro Thin is consisted of 1.5-5.0 micrometer thick copper foil and carrier copper foil of 18 micrometer thickness. Mitsui Mining & Smelting examines partial transfer of carrier foil production from Ageo plant to overseas plants in Malaysia or Taiwan to keep Micro Thin shipment volume even under electricity supply regulation scheduled this summer.