Fujikura Triples Output Capacity for Copper Integrated Heat Spreader

Fujikura announced on Wednesday the firm more than triples the productive capacity for copper integrated heat spreader (IHS) to cool off semiconductor devices. Fujikura purchased an existent plant in High-Tech Industrial Estate of Thailand as the second production base for Fujikura SHS Ltd., the joint venture specialized in IHS production between Fujikura and Soode Nagano, Nagano based metal processor. The JV will finish the productive equipment introduction into the second plant by the end of September and start IHS commercial operation in October 2006. The second plant starts the operation with the output capacity at more than 2 million units of IHS per month, while the capacity of the first plant is 1-1.2 million units per month.IHS has functions to spread heat generated by silicone device on the copper thermal diffusion plate with 30-50 millimeters square and to conduct the heat to other heat sink. Fujikura has regarded IHS as a new field in its heat sink and heat pipe business and established Fujikura SHS in December 2005.The IHS shipment has grown steadily for high-density IC packages such around central processing unit in laptop computers. Fujikura decided the capacity expansion with the expectation to receive more orders for IHS and purchased a plant owned by Soode Nagano in High-Tech Industrial Estate to use as the second plant for Fujikura SHS.Fujikura plans to expand the output capacity of the second plant to 12 million units of IHS per month toward fiscal 2008 ending March 2009. Fujikura estimates the annual sales for IHS at around 1.3 billion yen in fiscal 2006, at around 4 billion yen in fiscal 2007 and at 6-7 billion yen in fiscal 2008. The annual sales of Fujikura’s heat sink and heat pipe business were around 10 billion yen in fiscal 2005 and are estimated to increase to 30-40 billion yen in fiscal 2008.