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The electro-chemical materials segment develops materials for the
electronics industry, including solder resists and legend inks used in
printed circuit board manufacturing, as well as solder paste and flux
used for the soldering of parts. In addition to the development of
lead-free, halogen-free and other products that are friendly to the
environment, further steps have been taken recently to incorporate
environmental considerations into business activities, for example
through initiatives such as the collection of waste solder. |
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| Electro-chemical materials are essential to the manufacturing of electronic equipment. Tamura Kaken is engaged in the development of materials relating to soldering and PCBs. |
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 In the soldering materials field, our research and development is considerably advanced. Tamura Kaken was the first in the industry to develop flux, an indispensable soldering material. Related patents have been secured in Japan and the United States.
Today we supply more than half the flux in the Japanese market, which includes flux compatible with lead-free soldering.
In the area of surface mounting, our solder paste−a mixture of solder alloy particles and flux−meets demands in the industry for cutting edge technologies such as lead-free soldering and packaging, and boasts a share of more than 30% of the Japanese market.
In addition to flux and solder paste, we have recently developed and commercialized a conductive adhesive for use as a nextgeneration soldering material. One problem with lead-free solder paste has been the inability to lower the bonding temperature. Our conductive adhesive enables mounting of electronic components at a low temperature in the mid 100-200°C range, thereby avoiding damage to those components. The adhesive is expected to contribute to the mounting of components that are becoming smaller and more intricate. |
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In the PCB field, effort needs to go into developing materials suitable for increasingly complex high-density, multilayer boards.
For example, PCBs are being manufactured using photographic techniques rather than printing techniques as circuit patterns become increasingly more detailed. We have developed and commercialized a photo-imageable liquid solder resist1 compatible with photographic methods.
PCBs are also being fabricated with multiple layers, pushing up demand for interlayer insulation. We are staying on top of this with the development of interlayer insulating material for buildup substrates2.
Other materials we have developed are also attracting attention. They include materials for flexible substrates, pre-flux3 and conductive carbon coatings4.
Besides being constantly at the forefront of development of materials for PCBs, we are actively engaged in the development of products that are friendly to the environment. |
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Material that forms a solder-resisting protective film with insulating qualities. |
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Material that forms interlayer insulation on multilayer PCBs. |
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Pre-coating material that prevents oxidation of copper foil on PCBs. |
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Carbon material used for key contact points. |
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Electro-chemical materials are never sold directly to the end consumer, although we work to ensure their compatibility with international efforts to tackle environmental issues such as global warming and their compliance with chemical substance regulations in Japan and overseas, including the RoHS Directive, End-of- Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) regulations and the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) legislation. Environmental friendliness is our key stance as we aim to contribute to people's lifestyles and to society through the provision of electro-chemical materials typically found in electronics, such as mobile phones, televisions, game consoles, automobiles and personal computers. |
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| Note: |
Market share figures within the “Tamura Group Business” section are taken from studies conducted by Tamura Corporation as of March 2007. |
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(C) TAMURA Corporation, All rights reserved. |
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