Japan Chemical Week reported that Kaneka has developed a new type of heat-resistant polyimide (PI) film that features high dimensional stability and processability.

The firm says that the film, when used in high-end, triple-layer, copper-clad laminates (CCLs), shows an extremely low heat-contraction rate, as well as high elastic modulus and flexing properties. With CCLs applied to flexible printed circuit boards (FPCs), the film has the highest level of quality for this kind of application, says the firm.

According to Japan Chemical Week, Kaneka plans to build a large mass-production facility in October at its plant in Shiga Prefecture; this will increase its output capacity of the PI film from 1,800 t/y to 2,400 t/y. The Osaka-based firm aims to widen its lead over its rivals amid expanding production of FPC-grade PI films across the world.

Demand for FPCs is rising, mainly for application to mobile phones, hard-disk drives, and optical pickups. Digital home appliances, such as digital versatile discs and plasma televisions, are providing additional impetus to the demand growth. Against this background, it is forecast that consumption of PI film will continue to increase at an annual rate of nearly 10%.