Fujifilm Invests $18 Million to Expand CMP Slurry Production in Arizona, US Amid Rising AI Chip Demand

Fujifilm will spend USD 18 million to expand production of chemical mechanical planarization, or CMP, slurries at its FUJIFILM Electronic Materials U.S.A., Inc. facility in Mesa, Arizona, according to an announcement issued on October 13, 2026.

Capacity ramp set for 2027

The expanded line is scheduled to begin operations in 2027, and once running, it is expected to support medium- and long-term growth in demand for the abrasive materials used to flatten semiconductor surfaces during fabrication.

The project covers two aims: increasing capacity for copper interconnect CMP slurries, a product line where Fujifilm holds a leading global market share, and building new facilities able to manufacture multiple CMP slurry products across a range of semiconductor manufacturing processes, including advanced packaging.

AI cited as the demand driver

Company executives linked the spending directly to the artificial intelligence boom.

Brian O'Donnell, president and CEO of FUJIFILM Electronic Materials U.S.A., Inc. and corporate vice president of FUJIFILM Corporation, said the advanced semiconductor market has entered a period of significant growth driven by rapidly expanding AI-related demand.

As global semiconductor demand rises, he noted, so does demand for CMP slurries, which Fujifilm describes as an essential material in advanced chip manufacturing.

Fujifilm also stated that demand for copper interconnect CMP slurry specifically is increasing in the advanced logic and advanced memory sectors, with the expansion supporting long-term growth across advanced logic, advanced memory, and advanced packaging applications.

Domestic US chipmaking shapes the decision

The location of the investment reflects conditions in the American market.

Fujifilm pointed to continued investment by major semiconductor manufacturers in new and expanded US production facilities, which has produced high demand for semiconductor materials domestically.

In response to those market conditions, FUJIFILM Electronic Materials U.S.A., Inc. will expand CMP slurry production at its Mesa site.

Beyond one product line: FEOL, MOL, and packaging

While capacity for copper interconnect slurries used in BEOL (Back End of Line) processes forms part of the project, the new facilities are designed to handle a wide range of CMP slurry products for FEOL (Front End of Line), MOL (Middle of Line), and advanced packaging applications, including hybrid bonding.

Fujifilm's announcement explains these stages of wafer fabrication.

FEOL is the process of forming semiconductor devices such as transistors, capacitors, and resistors on the surface of a silicon wafer.

MOL is the intermediate interconnection process that links the terminals of those transistors to the first layer of metal interconnects.

BEOL is the wiring process in which devices on the wafer are interconnected with metal wiring layers, allowing electrical signals to travel across the integrated circuit.

CMP slurry itself is characterized by the company as an abrasive material used to uniformly flatten semiconductor surfaces where wiring and insulating films of varying hardness coexist.

R&D-to-production bridge

Shortening the distance between research and volume manufacturing is a stated goal of the expansion.

Fujifilm said the new production facilities will act as a bridge between product development and commercial manufacturing, allowing technologies developed at the Mesa site's global CMP slurry R&D center to be transferred quickly into mass production.

Portfolio and global network plans

Looking ahead, Fujifilm said it will continue to offer a broad portfolio spanning nearly all semiconductor manufacturing processes, from leading-edge to legacy nodes.

The company also emphasized plans to draw on a manufacturing network across Japan, the United States, Europe, and Asia, combined with its R&D capabilities, to deliver one-stop solutions that address customers' challenges and support the semiconductor industry's continued development.

Company background

FUJIFILM Electronic Materials operates manufacturing facilities in Asia, the United States, and Europe and supplies a wide range of electronic materials used in semiconductor production.

Its portfolio includes photoresists, photolithography-related materials, CMP slurries, post-CMP cleaners, thin-film materials, photosensitive insulating materials such as polyimides under the ZEMATES™ brand, high-purity process chemicals, and ultra-pure solvents.

The company also provides Wave Control Mosaic™, a group of functional materials that includes color filter materials for image sensors.

The company maintains a global supply chain with manufacturing and research and development sites in Asia, the United States, and Europe and states that its one-stop approach to customer needs contributes to the advancement of the semiconductor industry.

About the announcement

The press release was issued by FUJIFILM Corporation under the title "Fujifilm to Expand CMP Slurry Production Capacity in the United States."

U.S. media contacts listed are Christopher Smalley, Senior Marketing & Communications Strategist at FUJIFILM Electronic Materials U.S.A., Inc., and Robert Wallace, Senior Manager of Corporate Communications at FUJIFILM Holdings America Corp.