Toto, a Japan-based bathroom fixtures maker, plans to invest 80 billion yen (US$496 million) over the next five years in semiconductor materials for future 1nm-class chips.

The spending will fund R&D in Kanagawa and equipment at plants in Oita and Fukuoka.

The move expands a business Toto has been in since the 1980s, making electrostatic chucks, ceramic aerosol-deposition films, and other advanced ceramics for chipmaking equipment.

Electrostatic chucks hold silicon wafers in place with electrostatic force during chipmaking steps such as lithography and etching. Ceramic films are used in equipment that needs durability, heat resistance, and specific electrical properties.

The 1nm target is a longer-term goal rather than a current mass-production milestone. The source said the most advanced mass-produced process today is TSMC’s 2nm.

CTO Ryosuke Hayashi said semiconductor-related capital expenditure is expected to account for more than half of Toto’s total spending in the coming years.

He also said profits from Toto’s newer semiconductor division have surpassed those of its bathroom equipment business. Following the announcement, Toto shares rose more than 10% on June 22.

🔗 Source: Cailianshe