Fluorine compounds have excellent properties such as superior optical transparency, chemical resistance and low-dielectric. Through combination of these properties with synthetic technology in fluorochemistry and/or film-formation technology, we have been developing materials for semiconductor processing and components for optical communication. We also develop components for liquid crystal displays (LCDs) based on polymer and polymer processing technology and nano-imprinting technology.

Wire grid polarizing film is a reflective polarization film composed of fine metal wires laid in a grid pattern on a transparent substrate. It provides excellent polarization separation ability across the entire visible spectrum, and can be used as luminance-enhancing film and polarizer for LCDs. This product is expected to help develop thinner liquid crystal display panels in the future.

Nanoimprinting is a technique to imprint patterns by pressing a mold with a nano-level, concavo-convex pattern onto a photo-curable resin on the substrate.

Fuel cells are garnering attention as the ultimate power generating systems. They are extremely clean because they exhaust only water when generating electricity. Furthermore, they enable highly efficient and high-output power generation in compact packages. Polymer electrolyte fuel cells have been put into practical use as household co-generation systems that can help reduce CO2 emissions, and are expected to be used in a wide range of applications including automobiles (FCVs). Based on our proprietary fluorine chemistry and advanced monomer and polymer synthesis technologies, we worked on the development and practical use of highly durable ion exchange membranes and membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs); and successfully developed the first polymer electrolyte fuel cells that can be operated continuously over 6,000 hours at 120 degrees Celsius with world top-class durability and power generating performance.

Fuel cell MEA (membrane and electrode assembly)
In a fuel cell, MEA (membrane and electrode assembly), which is a composite combining an ion exchange membrane and an electrode with dispersed catalyst, is installed between the hydrogen and the oxygen supplies to generate electricity through the chemical reaction of proton and oxygen.

An advanced fluorinated thermosetting polymer which possesses improved heat resistance, mechanical strength and adhesiveness compared to conventional fluorinated polymers has been developed for microelectronic and optical applications. Low k (2.4-2.6) films with excellent processability such as patterning and stacking capabilities can be deposited by coating of the polymer formulation.

[Cross-sectional view of processed polymer films]

A via hole formed in a film of photo-sensitive version	A stacked multi layer with p-CVD-SiN

CYTOP has achieved extremely high optical transparency, of which the visible light transmittance is 95% or more, with an amorphous properties completely different from existing fluoropolymers. Since this product can be dissolved with a special fluorinated solvent, it can be used in thin film coatings to a thickness of a few sub-microns. In addition, this innovative material possesses the characteristics of conventional fluoropolymers (i.e. chemical-resistant, electrical properties, water and oil repellency). Using CYTOP, we are developing polymer optical waveguides that exhibit extremely low loss at 1260-1650 nanometers, electret generators that can harvest energy from low-frequency vibrations, and FONTEX, flexible optical fiber capable of propagating large volumes of data.

FONTEX
Duplex connector cable (product example)

The trend in the semiconductor industry continues to be towards smaller and faster integrated circuits. Global planarization is necessary for high density multilevel devices. Copper (low-resistivity) and Low-k (low dielectric) interconnection is desirable to obtain high speed devices. Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) is essential to achieve such advanced device structures. Asahi Glass has been developing CMP slurries by employing material design and polishing technologies.