| 1977 |
Began research on transparent conductive films at the Central Research Laboratory (now the Basic Evaluation Laboratory) |
|
| 1980 |
Started development of ITO targets |
|
| 1985 |
Completed construction of target manufacturing plant in Miike Rare Metal Plant |
|
| 1988 |
Target division became independent as Thin Film Materials Division |
New organization started with organizational reform |
| 1989 |
R&D building expanded |
R&D department strengthened; 97% density ITO developed by CP method. |
| 1998 |
Obtained JIS Z9901 (ISO9001) certification. |
(Continued to maintain certification, ISO9001:2015) |
| 1999 |
Established ITO mass production system. |
New production method enables stable supply of ultra-high density ITO (>99.5%), increasing market share. |
| 2000 |
Establishment of Taiwan TokuGrate Co. |
Established an integrated manufacturing plant in Taichung County, Taiwan, ahead of competitors. |
| 2001 |
Established a stable supply system for the Taiwanese market. |
|
| 2004 |
JIS Q14001:1996 (ISO14001) certification obtained. |
(Continued to maintain certification, ISO 14001:2015) |
| 2005 |
Establishment of Mitsui Kinzoku Korea Co. |
Constructed a bonding factory in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, aiming to expand its share in the Korean market. |
| 2006 |
Obtained OHSAS18001 certification. Production begins at the Korean base of Mitsui Kinzoku Co. |
(Certification maintained and continued, ISO45001:2018) |
| 2010 |
Expanded plant to accommodate larger size (10th generation)
|
Expanded processing and bonding plants to accommodate 10th generation (G10) |
| 2011 |
Opened sales office at Mitsui Kinzoku Trading (Shanghai) Co. |
|
| 2012 |
- Established mass production system for ultra-large ITO (1,000 to 1,400 mm in length)
- Started mass production and sales of cylindrical ITO
|
Succeeded in mass production of ultra-large ITO sintered bodies with overall lengths of 1,000 to 1,400 mm |
| 2013 |
- Established mass production system for next-generation oxide semiconductor material IGZO
- Opened sales office at Shenzhen Branch of Mitsui Kinzoku Trading (Shanghai) Co.
|
Succeeded in homogenization and enlargement of target size. Expanding market share with homogeneous panel lighting properties as a differentiating technology. |
| 2014 |
Mass production and sales of cylindrical IGZO started. |
|
| 2015 |
- Started operation of a new building equipped with a large CIP in the Miike target plant.
- Obtained G11 AKT certification for cylindrical ITO and IGZO.
|
Started production of cylindrical TG, and started to handle long cylindrical TG. |
| Installed cylindrical ITO processing equipment at Taiwan Tokutei Corp. |
Increased supply capacity |
| 2021 |
Production at Mitsui Kinzoku Korea Plant terminated |
|
| 2022 |
- Development Department established.
- UL2809 verification of ITO (10wt%) completed by Taiwan Tokutei Co.
|
Accelerated development of new materials |
