TOKYO -- Toppan Printing will make high-grade photomasks, used in printing semiconductor circuits, in China beginning in fiscal 2018, aiming to speed up deliveries there as the country gains prominence in the global chipmaking industry.
Photomasks are opaque plates with cutout patterns that let light shine through to etch circuit patterns onto silicon wafers. The Tokyo-based printing company aims to lift its share in China's photomask market to 70% by 2020, up from 50% now.