Photopolymer Technology

Photopolymers are defined as monomers or polymers with photofunctional groups that easily change their chemical structure when exposed to small amounts of light energy.
At Nitto Denko we use such photopolymers in a wide range of applications to manufacture products with special characteristics.
Technologies employed include the following:

Semiconductor wafers are secured using adhesive tape during backgrinding and dicing, and while strong levels of adhesion are required during these processes, after processing the adhesive tape must simply release the wafers.

While polyimide resin is outstanding in terms of its heat-resistance, chemical stability, electrical insulation and mechanical strength, there were difficulties associated with processability, such as with pattern formation.
At Nitto Denko, as part of our efforts to develop a photosensitive polyimide resin capable of creating precise patterns, we designed and synthesized a proprietary photosensitive agent to enable changes in the solubility of the developing solution when exposed to light.
This product is used in the manufacture of thin film metal circuits with fine lines, which are important parts used in applications such as HDDs.
Pattern formation material design technology is used in unique products such as photosensitive polyimide resin for forming optical waveguides.

Nitto Denko uses UV polymerization in the manufacture of environmentally friendly adhesive tape that does not require the use of any organic solvents.
Conventional adhesive tape is manufactured by applying and drying a coating of adhesive that had been dissolved in organic solvents to a substrate, which poses problems in terms of the load that is placed on the environment by discharges of VOCs.
The UV polymerization type adhesive tape manufacturing method involves coating a substrate with liquid raw materials that will form the adhesive and exposing it to UV light to synthesize the adhesive. This process does not involve the use of organic solvents and requires less heat energy for drying.