Semiconductor manufacturing technology could be a major change, printing technology is expected to aggressively replacing the old technology, the application in the production of NAND Flash or OLED panel and is even being viewed as is the opportunity to rebuild Japan's panel industry; But in the face of foreign companies to invest heavily in factory on the day when money is not enough, can obtain large sums of money aid, may will be the key to the success or failure.
In semiconductor manufacturing engineering, such as memory or system chips, for miniature wire width narrow, has 40 years of semiconductor etching technology mainstream lithography, facing the light source the light wavelength and the width of the problem, research and development of machine tool and the purchase price rising, can produce high precision semiconductor manufacturers are less and less, and lead to the semiconductor industry merger and acquisition.
Use transfer printing, printed circuit for 15 nanometer grade, and even more sophisticated process of semiconductor, the manufacturing cost is expected to hold down a third for lithography, for Japanese factory personnel higher cost, lower production cost by new technology, to facilitate foreign manufacturers competition, such as South Korea is very attractive.
Therefore such as Canon (Canon) cooperate with big Japanese printing (DNP), production based on nano-imprinting Nanoimprint technology of semiconductor devices, while Toshiba (Toshiba) procurement nano-imprinting equipment, used in the production of NAND Flash, so that led to the first and the city Samsung (Samsung Electronics) competition.
And OLED is vacuum evaporation, the main production material is heated and then deposited in the vacuum chamber of the substrate, high energy consumption and waste materials, makes the OLED panel production cost is more than 10 times of LCD panel; If switch to print way, both energy consumption and waste material will be greatly reduced, is expected to significantly cut the cost gap OLED and LCD panel.
Current research and development of OLED print production factory, a Tokyo power kechuang (Tokyo Electron) and Seiko Epson, Seiko Epson cooperation team, and Panasonic and Sony JOLED form by the department of OLED panel.
But on the NAND Flash and OLED panel, day factory are facing product time to market and technology behind the plight of Korea factory, even to play catch-up, and financial problems: Toshiba just out of business crisis and the 2016 ~ 2018 in three years 860 billion yen ($8.57 billion) semiconductor investment, for the enterprise is less than 400 billion yen, it is not easy to reach.
Sharp (Sharp) got money, hon hai can invest 200 billion yen manufacturing OLED panel, mass production is expected to 2018; Japan display now operating as expected, have to big shareholders Japanese industry innovation mechanism (INCJ) request a bailout, used for OLED and other advanced technology research and development production.
Compared with the research and development funds still abundant, also in OLED market and technology South Korea's leading manufacturer, factory on the day when the money problem, don't say a city back, maybe will continue to widening gap. Even if the existing development direction, but can reach a goal, it is difficult to assert.
