The TANAKA Precious Metals Group supports the evolution and growth of the semiconductor industry through its role in the cutting-edge development and stable supply of precious metal materials—a role that cannot be replaced by any other company. To support the vigorous demand for chips and encourage further miniaturization, the Group’s presence and the expectations placed on it are growing. This article will focus on bonding wires, which the Group has been devoted to since its founding, and precursors that contribute to cutting-edge chips.

TANAKA Precious Metals Group
TANAKA Electronics Co., Ltd.
Officer General Manager, R&D Supervisory Department
Doctor (Engineering)

Tsutomu Yamashita

TANAKA Precious Metals Group
TANAKA Precious Metal Technologies Co., Ltd.
Global Marketing/R&D Supervisory Department
General Manager, Chemical Materials Development Department

Hirofumi Nakagawa

From the perspective of strengthening industrial competitiveness and economic security, semiconductors have become strategic goods for all countries and regions. DX and GX, which aim for a prosperous and sustainable society, are also based on semiconductor innovation.

Semiconductors encompass a diversity of applications, generations, and varieties. Although most people focus on cutting-edge chips, electrical and electronic devices are equipped with many different types of chips, all of which play essential roles. The shortage of semiconductors caused by the COVID-19 pandemic remains a fresh memory, resulting in a delayed procurement of semiconductors, and plants in the automobile and other industries came to a halt.

The TANAKA Precious Metals Group has been developing and supplying materials, focusing on precious metals (platinum, gold, silver, ruthenium, palladium, etc.) used in manufacturing semiconductors and electronic parts. The Group also handles some copper and aluminum products by applying these technologies. In addition to bonding wires and precursors, the Group offers a broad lineup of products for semiconductors, such as silver adhesive pastes, active brazing filler materials, plating, and sputtering targets, which are used in all areas from general-purpose to cutting-edge chips.

NEXT ≫ Taking on the stable supply of rare materials