Tokuyama and LOTTE Chemical Expand Semiconductor Developer Production in South Korea with New Pyeongtaek Plant

Tokuyama Corporation has announced that Hantok Chemicals, its equity method affiliate in South Korea, has officially broken ground on a brand new manufacturing facility in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. This strategic expansion is designed to address the surging global demand for advanced semiconductor manufacturing materials.

Hantok Chemicals, established in 1995, operates as a highly successful fifty fifty joint venture between Japan based Tokuyama Corporation and South Korea based LOTTE Chemical. The company has long been a key player in the regional electronics supply chain, operating its primary manufacturing hub in Ulsan. The new Pyeongtaek plant represents a massive one hundred thirty billion Korean Won investment, spanning an impressive thirty two thousand square meters. Commercial operations at the new site are scheduled to officially commence in September 2027.

The facility will specialize in the production of high purity semiconductor grade tetramethylammonium hydroxide, commonly known as photoresist developer. Tetramethylammonium hydroxide is an indispensable chemical agent used during the critical photolithography process to form ultra fine circuit patterns on modern silicon wafers. As the industry advances into sub three nanometer nodes and complex three dimensional transistor architectures, the volume and purity requirements for developers have escalated exponentially.

By establishing this second production base in Pyeongtaek, closely situated near major South Korean semiconductor industrial clusters, Hantok Chemicals aims to boost its overall tetramethylammonium hydroxide production capacity by approximately fifty percent. This dual base production strategy, bridging Ulsan and Pyeongtaek, dramatically improves supply chain resilience, logistical efficiency, and response times for primary customers. Proactive investments like this ensure that the global semiconductor supply chain remains stable amid rapid technological transformation.